Spatial Distribution of Urination by Cattle in a Daytime Grazing System

Abstract

Spatial distribution of urination by Japanese Black heifers and steers was investigated, and compared with the distribution of defecation. The animals grazed a bahiagrass (Paspalum notation Flügge) pasture in the daytime, and spent the rest of the day in a barn. The distribution of urination to the pasture was greater than that expected from the proportion of time that the animals spent in the pasture. Correspondingly, the distribution was smaller in the barn. Such a distribution pattern of urination to the pasture and barn was similar to that of defecation, and affected by the intake of supplement on the previous day. The distribution of urination within the pasture, i.e. the distribution to the paddock, alley and resting area, was often uneven on an area basis. The animals often urinated sparsely in the alley and resting area, while they urinated in the paddock almost proportionally to its area. This was a clear contrast to the distribution pattern of defecation, which was sparse in the paddock and dense in the resting area. The degree of aggregation of urination in the paddock, alley and resting area varied with the meteorological factors and the intake of supplement.