RESEARCHES ON FEEDING AND RUMINATION BEHAVIOR IN SIX MONTHS OF AGE ROMANIAN BLACK AND WHITE CALVES

I. Tripon, M. Bura, S. Acatincăi, L.T. Cziszter, D. Gavojdian, Simona Baul, A.I. Bognar, G.G. Răducan

Abstract
The aim of this paper was to measure the main aspects that characterize the feeding and rumination behavior of six months old calves from Romanian Black and White breed. During the experiments the following feeding and rumination behavior aspects were determined: number of feeding periods, the length of feeding periods, number of ruminating periods, and the length of rumination periods. Data was computed using ANOVA/MANOVA. Results showed that calves spent feeding, on average, 212 minutes in the morning, representing 44% of that time period, 175 minutes in the afternoon, respectively 37% of the 8-hour time frame and only 55 minutes during the night (12%). Calves ruminate, on average, more during the night (226 minutes) compared with morning and afternoon (104 and 135 minutes, respectively). The length of a rumination period was between 27 minutes in the morning and 38 minutes during the night. When treated together the length of feeding and rumination behavior had very closed values. Calves spent feeding and ruminating 316 minutes in the morning, 310 minutes in the afternoon and 281 minutes during the night. The total length of feeding and rumination behavior was 907 minutes representing 63% of a day. Calves fed themselves during 11 periods a day and ruminated during 14 periods.

Key words: calves, feeding behavior, rumination behavior, Romanian Black and White breed