Premium
The use of a fluorescent pigment to record the distribution by cattle of traces of faeces from dung pats
Author(s) -
BOSWELL C. C.,
SMITH A.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1976.tb00786.x
Subject(s) - feces , pasture , grazing , biology , larva , pigment , livestock , zoology , agronomy , ecology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract The extent of post‐defaecation redistribution of faeces by cattle in a grazed pasture was determined by adding to dung pats a pigment which is fluorescent in ultra‐violet light. Traces of faeces which would normally not be detected were located under ultra‐violet irradiation at night. More traces were redistributed from dung pats situated in areas where stock congregated than from dung pats in other areas of paddocks. Most traces occurred at distances of up to 2 m from each indicator dung pat treated with the pigment. The area of sward affected by faeces was over 100 times the area of individual dung pats. It is suggested that the distribution of infective parasitic larvae will follow the distribution of the traces rather than simply that of the dung pats. Grazing behaviour may also be affected by contamination of herbage by traces of faeces.