Spatial and Time Distribution of Dairy Cattle Excreta in an Intensive Pasture System
S. L. Whitea,
R. E. Sheffieldc,
S. P. Washburn*,a,
L. D. Kingb and
J. T. Green, Jr.d
a Dep. of Animal Science, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695-7621
b Dep. of Soil Science, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695-7619
c Dep. of Biol. and Agric. Eng., North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695-7625
d Jr., Dep. of Crop Science, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27695-7620
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Fig. 1. Feces and urine distribution by 36 lactating dairy cattle in July 1997 during two grazing periods within 24 h on a 0.74-ha paddock. Cattle were restricted to the front half of the paddock during the first grazing period and permitted access to the entire paddock during the second grazing period. Urine = 0.36 m2 (0.68-m diameter), feces = 0.12 m2 (0.39-m diameter). Concentric lines radiate at 10-m intervals from the water tank. Urine spots were flagged so they could be mapped, while feces spots remained visible for the mapping and did not need to be flagged. Therefore, feces spots were not differentiated between grazing periods because they were not marked during the observation period.
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Fig. 2. Feces and urine distribution by 36 lactating dairy cattle in August 1997 during two grazing periods within 24 h on a 0.74-ha paddock. Cattle were restricted to the front half of the paddock during the first grazing period and permitted access to the entire paddock during the second grazing period. Urine = 0.36 m2 (0.68-m diameter), feces = 0.12 m2 (0.39-m diameter). Concentric lines radiate at 10-m intervals from the water tank. Urine spots were flagged so they could be mapped, while feces spots remained visible for the mapping and did not need to be flagged. Therefore, feces spots were not differentiated between grazing periods because they were not marked during the observation period.
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Fig. 3. Feces and urine distribution by 36 lactating dairy cattle in December 1997 during two grazing periods within 24 h on a 0.74-ha paddock. Cattle were restricted to the front half of the paddock during the first grazing period and permitted access to the entire paddock during the second grazing period. Urine = 0.36 m2 (0.68-m diameter), feces = 0.12 m2 (0.39-m diameter). Concentric lines radiate at 10-m intervals from the water tank. Urine spots were flagged so they could be mapped, while feces spots remained visible for the mapping and did not need to be flagged. Therefore, feces spots were not differentiated between grazing periods because they were not marked during the observation period.
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Fig. 4. Feces and urine distribution by 36 lactating dairy cattle in February 1998 during two grazing periods within 24 h on a 0.74-ha paddock. Cattle were restricted to the front half of the paddock during the first grazing period and permitted access to the entire paddock during the second grazing period. Urine = 0.36 m2 (0.68-m diameter), feces = 0.12 m2 (0.39-m diameter). Concentric lines radiate at 10-m intervals from the water tank. Urine spots were flagged so they could be mapped, while feces spots remained visible for the mapping and did not need to be flagged. Therefore, feces spots were not differentiated between grazing periods because they were not marked during the observation period.
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Fig. 5. Feces and urine distribution by 36 lactating dairy cattle across six observation periods (five of 24 h and one of 13.5 h) on a 0.74-ha paddock. Cattle were restricted to the front half of the paddock during the first grazing period (12 h) and permitted access to the entire paddock during the second grazing period (8 h). Urine = 0.36 m2 (0.68-m diameter), feces = 0.12 m2 (0.39-m diameter). Concentric lines radiate at 10-m intervals from the water tank. Urine spots were flagged so they could be mapped, while feces spots remained visible for the mapping and did not need to be flagged. Therefore, feces spots were not differentiated between grazing periods because they were not marked during the observation period.
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Fig. 6. Frequency of defecations by 36 lactating dairy cows on a 0.74-ha paddock totaled from five 24-h observation periods during which two grazing periods occurred per observation period (cattle were restricted to 54% of the paddock during the first grazing period and permitted access to the entire paddock during the second grazing period) and one 13.5-h grazing period, as influenced by distance (A to K in 10-m increments) from the water tank (General Linear Models test, F statistic = 10.45; P < 0.05). Error bars indicate mean ± standard error.
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Fig. 7. Frequency of urinations by 36 lactating dairy cows on a 0.74-ha paddock totaled from five 24-h observation periods during which two grazing periods occurred per observation period (cattle were restricted to 54% of the paddock during the first grazing period and permitted access to the entire paddock during the second grazing period) and one 13.5-h grazing period, as influenced by distance (A to K in 10-m increments) from the water tank (General Linear Models test, F statistic = 17.60; P < 0.05). Error bars indicate mean ± standard error.
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Copyright © 2001 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.
