This work was carried out at the field to evaluate the grazing sheep behavior conducted in annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) on vegetative, pre-flowering and flowering stages. Ewes at the end of pregnancy and at the beginning of lactation maintained in a 1.3 ha paddock were evaluated in terms of grazing time, bite rate, bite size, leaf:stem ratio of ingested pasture estimated by hand-plucking method. Daily grazing time/h of 9.65, 10.97 and 10.68, bite rates/min of 52.65, 51.93 and 40.63 and the bite weight g/bite of 0.064, 0.055 and 0.048 were observed for vegetative (VS), pre-flowering (PS) and flowering stages (FE), respectively. This behavior resulted in forage intake rates of 4.48%, 3.91% and 2.72% of body weight on VS, PS an FS, respectively These evolutions were accompanied by reduction of the leaf:stem ratio of available forage (4.36:1, 1.11:1 and 0.17:1) which were in accordance to the qualitative limitation that occurs in the flowering stage. These data showed that until pre-flowering stage, the strategies desenvolved by the animals allowed an adequate intake forage, while that in the flowering stage the low quality pasture determinated a decrease intake, being this considerate insufficient to attend nutritional necessities of lactating ewes and respective lambs.
animal behavior; annual ryegrass; hand plucking; intake; phenological stages; sheep
