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A note on the circadian rhythm and feeding behaviour of sheep fitted with a lightweight GPS collar |
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| Authors: | Ian AR Hulbert John TB Wyllie Anthony Waterhouse John French David McNulty |
| Institution: | a Scottish Agricultural College, Hill and Mountain Research Centre, Food Division, Kirkton Farm, Crianlarich, West Perthshire, Scotland FK20 8RU, UK b Mariner Radar, Campsheath, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England NR32 5DN, UK c University of Aberdeen, Regent Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK d Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BIOSS), Auchincruive, Ayr, Scotland KA6 5HW, UK |
| Abstract: | The circadian rhythm and feeding behaviour (bite rate) of 16 Scottish Blackface ewes of which eight were fitted with a lightweight (863 g) GPS collar were examined. The collar consisted of a leather harness and a 0.5 l aluminium box and represented 2.2% of the average body mass of the study ewes. No differences in circadian rhythm and bite rate were found between ewes fitted with the collars and ewes that were not. The relevance of using collar weight as a proportion of body mass as a guide to gauge its impact on the feeding behaviour of small ruminant (35–75 kg) herbivores is questioned. |
| Keywords: | Sheep feeding and nutrition Circadian rhythm GPS Feeding behaviour |
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