title: Eating and rumination activity in 10 cows over 10 days.
abstract: Eating and rumination activities were evaluated in 10 Brown Swiss cows over 10 days, and the coefficients of variation (CV) were calculated for the investigated variables. A pressure sensor integrated into the noseband of a halter recorded jaw movements during chewing, which allowed the recording of eating and rumination times and the number of regurgitated boluses. The mean CVs ranged from 5.9 to 12.7% and were smaller for rumination (chewing cycles per bolus, 5.9%; daily number of cuds, 8.4%; rumination time, 9.1%) than for eating (eating time, 12.0%; chewing cycles related to eating, 12.7%). We concluded that of eating and rumination variables examined, the number of chewing cycles per regurgitated bolus is the most robust with little variation in individual cows.
authors.affiliation: Department of Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland. Electronic address: ubraun@vetclinics.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Department of Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zürcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Farm Animals, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hässig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004068:Digestive System Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology*; D012417:Rumen / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Cattle; Coefficient of variation; Eating; Rumination; Variation