D istribution and rate of decay of dung patches and their influence on grazing behaviour

Results from a field investigation indicated that dairy cows defaecated on average 13.9 times per day. Defaecations averaged 114 in.2 (0.07 m2) in area and showed little difference in size in winter, spring and summer, although the cows defaecated significantly more often and dung consistency was less firm during the summer. The percentage area of paddock covered by dung patches after 24 hours' grazing ranged from 0.31% to 0.68%, depending principally on the stocking rate. Dung‐patch distribution over the paddock was uniform in spring and snmmer, but not in winter. The grazing pattern of two groups of dairy cows (blinkered and non‐blinkered) on a pasture containing dung patches was recorded over 4 days. Both groups exhibited a similar grazing pattern, suggesting that sight was not a primary aid to the selection of herbage. The resulte suggested that the smell of the dung patches was the primary cause for the rejection of the surrounding herbage. The results from this and the two previous papers are used to discuss the influence that the dung patch may have on the utilization of pasture by the grazing animal.