Articles | Volume 63, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-63-19-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-63-19-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Proximity patterns in water buffaloes' activities on pasture
Eleni T. Tsiobani
Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, Faculty of
Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria D. Yiakoulaki
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, Faculty of
Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nikolaos D. Hasanagas
University Forest Administration, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and
Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124
Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis E. Antoniou
Department of Statistics and Operational Research, School of
Mathematics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki,
Greece
Related authors
Maria D. Yiakoulaki, Eleni T. Tsiobani, Christina-Ioanna G. Galliou, and Konstantinos G. Papaspyropoulos
Arch. Anim. Breed., 65, 157–169, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-65-157-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-65-157-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the impact of the COVID-19 restrictive measures on the extensive farming system of small ruminants. We found that the breeders’ daily work routine was negatively affected in holdings with a high number of sheep. The majority of breeders did not change the movements of the animals in pastures, the amount of the given feedstuffs, the hygienic conditions on the farms, or the employed workers. A decrease in demand for animal products and a decrease in their prices were observed.
Maria D. Yiakoulaki, Eleni T. Tsiobani, Christina-Ioanna G. Galliou, and Konstantinos G. Papaspyropoulos
Arch. Anim. Breed., 65, 157–169, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-65-157-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-65-157-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We studied the impact of the COVID-19 restrictive measures on the extensive farming system of small ruminants. We found that the breeders’ daily work routine was negatively affected in holdings with a high number of sheep. The majority of breeders did not change the movements of the animals in pastures, the amount of the given feedstuffs, the hygienic conditions on the farms, or the employed workers. A decrease in demand for animal products and a decrease in their prices were observed.
Maria Koidou, Ioannis Mountousis, Vassilios Dotas, Konstantinos Zagorakis, and Maria Yiakoulaki
Arch. Anim. Breed., 62, 215–226, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-62-215-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-62-215-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Interannual and monthly variations of herbage production and nutritive value regarding the needs and welfare of grazing ruminants were evaluated in three grasslands located at different altitudes in northern Greece. The sub-alpine grassland was the most productive, with the highest mean annual CP content. Herbage Ca content was sufficient for the animals’ needs, while protein and phosphorus supplementation should be provided in order to cover their requirements and reach high levels of welfare.
Konstantinos Karasabbidis, Maria Yiakoulaki, Agapi Papazafeiriou, Ioannis Mountousis, and Konstantinos Papanikolaou
Arch. Anim. Breed., 57, 9, https://doi.org/10.7482/0003-9438-57-009, https://doi.org/10.7482/0003-9438-57-009, 2014
Cited articles
Altmann, J.: Observational study of behavior: sampling methods, Behaviour,
49, 227–267, https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2011.585831, 1974.
Antkowiak, I., Pytlewski, J., Purczynska, A., and Skrzypek, R.: A
preliminary study of the behaviour of water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) imported to Poland,
Arch. Tierzucht, 55, 415–419, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-55-415-2012, 2012.
Bampidis, V. A., Nistor, E., Skapetas, V. B., Christodoulou, V., Chatziplis,
D., Mitsopoulos, I., and Lagka, V.: Effect of parity and calving month on
milk production and quality of Greek buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), Sci. Pap. Anim. Sci.
Biotechnol., 45, 216–220, 2012.
Bekiari, A. and Hasanagas, N.: Verbal aggressiveness exploration through
complete social network analysis: using physical education students' class
as an illustration, Int. J. Soc. Sci. Stud., 3, 30–49,
https://doi.org/10.11114/ijsss.v3i3.729, 2015.
Bøe, K. E. and Færevik, G.: Grouping and social preferences in
calves, heifers and cows, Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 80, 175–190,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00217-4, 2003.
Bonacich, P.: Some unique properties of eigenvector centrality, Soc.
Networks, 29, 555–564, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2007.04.002, 2007.
Borgatti, S. P.: Centrality and network flow, Soc. Networks, 27, 55–71,
2005.
Borgatti, S. P., Everett, M. G., and Johnson, J. C.: Analyzing
social networks, SAGE Publications Ltd., London, UK, 320 pp., 2013.
Bouissou, M. F.: Social relationships in domestic cattle under modern
management techniques, Ital. J. Zool., 47, 343–353, https://doi.org/10.1080/11250008009438691, 1980.
Coleing, A.: The application of social network theory to animal behaviour,
Biosci. Horizons, 2, 32–43, https://doi.org/10.1093/biohorizons/hzp008, 2009.
Croft, D. P., Krause, J., and James, R.: Social networks in the guppy
(Poecilia reticulata), P. R. Soc. B, 271, 516–519,
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2004.0206, 2004.
Csárdi, G. and Nepusz, T.: The igraph software package for complex network research, InterJournal, Complex Systems, 1695, available at: http://igraph.org (last access: 13 January 2020), 2006.
De Rosa, G., Grasso, F., Pacelli, C., Napolitano, F., and Winckler, Ch.: The
welfare of dairy buffalo, Ital. J. Anim. Sci., 8, 103–116, 2009.
Dezfuli, B. T., Javaremi, A. N., Abbasi, M. A., Fayazi, J., and Chamani, M.:
Economic weights of milk production traits for buffalo herds in the
southwest of Iran using profit equation, World Appl. Sci. J., 15,
1604–1613, 2011.
Færevik, G., Jensen, M. B., and Bøe, K. E.: Dairy calves social
preferences and the significance of a companion animal during separation
from the group, Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 99, 205–221,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2005.10.012, 2006.
Firth, J. A., Voelkl, B., Farine, D. R., and Sheldon, B. C.: Experimental
evidence that social relationships determine individual foraging behavior,
Curr. Biol., 25, 3138–3143, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.09.075, 2015.
Foris, B., Zebunke, M., Langbein, J., and Melzer, N.: Comprehensive analysis
of affiliative and agonistic social networks in lactating dairy cattle
groups, Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 210, 60–67,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2018.10.016, 2019.
Freeman, L. C.: Centrality in social networks: conceptual clarification,
Soc. Networks, 1, 215–239, 1979.
Georgoudis, A. G., Papanastasis, V. P., and Boyazoglu, J. G.: Use of water
buffalo for environmental conservation of waterland – Review,
Asian Austral. J. Anim. Sci., 12, 1324–1331,
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.1999.1324, 1999.
Grant, R. J. and Albright, J. L.: Feeding behaviour, in: Farm Animal
Metabolism and Nutrition, edited by: D'Mello, J. P. F., CABI International,
Wallingford, UK, 365–382, 2006.
Grant, R. J. and Dann, H. M.: Biological importance of rumination and its
use on-farm, in: Proceedings of the Cornell Nutrition Conference for Feed
Manufacturers, Department of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences, Cornell University, available at: https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/41226 (last access: 5 June 2019), 2015.
Gulickx, M. M. C., Beecroft, R. C., and Green, A. C.: Introduction of water
buffalo Bubalus bubalis to recently created wetlands at Kingfishers, Conserv.
Evidence, 4, 43–44, 2007.
Hafez, E. S. E. and Shafei, M. M.: Sweating mechanism in the domestic
buffalo, Nature, 174, 1181–1182, 1954.
Harary, F.: Graph Theory, Addison – Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts, USA, 284 pp.,
1969.
Hinde, R. A.: Interactions, relationships and social structure, Man, 11, 1–17,
https://doi.org/10.2307/2800384, 1976.
Jensen, M. B.: The role of social behaviour in cattle welfare, in: Advances in cattle welfare, edited by: Tucker, C. B., Woodhead Publishing, Duxford, UK, 2018.
Karasabbidis, K., Yiakoulaki, M., Papazafeiriou, A., Mountousis, I., and
Papanikolaou, K.: A behavioral study of the greek “Thracean” sheep breed
grazing on the rangelands of Rhodope, Greece, Arch. Tierzucht, 57, 1–10,
2014.
Koidou, M., Mountousis, I., Dotas, V., Zagorakis, K., and Yiakoulaki, M.: Temporal variations
of herbage production and nutritive value of three grasslands at different elevation zones regarding grazing needs and welfare of ruminants, Arch. Anim. Breed., 62, 215–226, https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-62-215-2019, 2019.
Krause, J., Croft, D. P., and James, R.: Social network theory in the
behavioural sciences: potential applications, Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 62,
15–27, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-007-0445-8, 2007.
Kumar, S., Nagarajan, M., Sandhu, J. S., Kumar, N., and Behl, V.:
Phylogeography and domestication of Indian river buffalo, BMC Evol. Biol.,
7, 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-7-186, 2007.
Lindberg, C. A.: Group life, in: Social behaviour in farm animals, edited
by: Keeling, L. J. and Gonyou, H. W., CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 37–58, 2001.
Lusseau, D.: The emergent properties of a dolphin social network, P. R.
Soc. B, 270, S186–S188,
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2003.0057, 2003.
Lusseau, D. and Newman, M. E. J.: Identifying the role that animals play in
their social networks, Proc. Biol. Sci., 271, S477–S481,
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2004.0225, 2004.
Madella-Oliveira, A. de F., Quirino, C. R., Ruiz-Miranda, C. R., and
Fonseca, F. A.: Social behaviour of buffalo heifers during the establishment
of a dominance hierarchy, Livest. Sci., 146, 73–79,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2012.02.025, 2012.
Makagon, M. M., McCowan, B., and Mench, J. A.: How can social network
analysis contribute to social behavior research in applied ethology?, Appl.
Anim. Behav. Sci., 138, 152–161, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2012.02.003, 2012.
Manning, A. and Dawkins, M. S.: An introduction to animal behavior, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, UK, 458 pp., 2012.
Moran, J. and Doyle, R.: Cattle behaviour, in: Cow talk: understanding dairy
cow behaviour to improve their welfare on Asian farms, CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Australia,
available at: https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7274/ (last access: 4 September 2019), 37–68,
2015.
Napolitano, F., Grasso, F., Saltalamacchia, F., Martiniello, P., Bilancione,
A., Pacelli, C., and De Rosa, G.: Grazing behaviour of buffalo heifers,
Ital. J. Anim. Sci., 6, 1256–1259,
https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2007.s2.1256, 2007.
Napolitano, F., Grasso, F., Braghieri, A., De Rosa, G., Di Francia, A., and
Bilancione, A.: Behavior and milk production of buffalo cows as affected by
housing system, J. Dairy Sci., 92, 907–912, https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1157,
2009.
Napolitano, F., Pacelli, C., Grasso, F., Braghieri, A., and De Rosa, G.: The
behaviour and welfare of buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in modern dairy enterprises, Animal,
7, 1704–1713, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731113001109, 2013.
Newman, M. E. J.: The structure and function of complex networks, SIAM
Rev., 45, 167–256, https://doi.org/10.1137/S003614450342480, 2003.
Newman, M. E. J.: Networks. An Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford
UK, 800 pp., 2018.
Ramos, A., Manizan, L., Rodriguez, E., Kemp, Y. J. M., and Sueur, C.: The
social network structure of a semi-free roaming European bison herd (Bison bonasus),
Behav. Process., 158, 97–105, https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BEPROC.2018.11.005, 2019.
Raussi, S., Lensink, B. J., Boissy, A., Pyykkönen, M., and Veissier, I.:
The effect of contact with conspecifis and humans on calves behaviour and
stress responses, Anim. Welf., 12, 191–203, 2003.
R Core Team: R: A language and environment for statistical computing, R
Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, available at:
https://www.R-project.org/, last access: 2 January 2017.
Reinhardt, C., Reinhardt, A., and Reinhardt, V.: Social behaviour and
reproductive performance in semi-wild Scottish highland cattle, Appl. Anim.
Behav. Sci., 15, 125–136, 1986.
Šárová, R., Gutmann, A. K., Špinka, M., Stěhulová,
I., and Winckler, C.: Important role of dominance in allogrooming behaviour
in beef cattle, Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 181, 41–48,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2016.05.017, 2016.
Sato, S.: Leadership during actual grazing in a small herd of cattle, Appl.
Anim. Ethol., 8, 53–65, https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3762(82)90132-8, 1982.
Schein, M. W. and Fohrman, M. H.: Social dominance relationship in a herd of
dairy cattle, Brit. J. Anim. Behav., 3, 45–55, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-5601(55)80012-3, 1955.
Singh, M., Chaudhari, K. B., Singh, J. K., Singh, A. K., and Maurya, V. P.:
Effects of thermal load on buffalo reproductive performance during summer
season, J. Biol. Sci., 1, 1–8, 2013.
Sowell, B. F., Mosley, J. C., and Bowman, J. G. P.: Social behavior of grazing beef cattle: implications for management, J. Anim. Sci., 77, 1–6, https://doi.org/10.2527/jas2000.00218812007700ES0021x, 2000.
SPSS v. 25: IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0, Armonk, NY, IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York, USA, 2017.
Sueur, C., Jacobs, A., Amblard, F., Petit, O., and King, A. J.: How can
social network analysis improve the study of primate behavior?, Am. J.
Primatol., 73, 703–719, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20915, 2011.
Sweers, W., Horn, S., Grenzdörffer, G., and Müller, J.: Regulation
of reed (Phragmites australis) by water buffalo grazing: use in coastal conservation, Mires Peat, 13, 3, 2013.
Tripaldi, C., Rosa, G. De, Grasso, F., Terzano, G. M., and Napolitano, F.:
Housing system and welfare of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) cows, Anim. Sci., 78, 477–483,
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1357729800058872, 2004.
Tsiobani, E. T., Yiakoulaki, M. D., Hasanagas, N. D., Menexes, G., and
Papanikolaou, K.: Water Buffaloes grazing behaviour at the Lake Kerkini
National Park, Northern Greece, Hacquetia, 15, 133–142,
https://doi.org/10.1515/hacq-2016-0015, 2016.
Tucker, C. B.: Advances in cattle welfare, Woodhead Publishing Series in
Food Science, Technology and Nutrition, Elsevier, UK, 282 pp., 2018.
Ungerfeld, R., Cajarville, C., Rosas, M. I., and Repetto, J. L.: Time budget
differences of high – and low-social rank grazing dairy cows, New Zeal. J.
Agr. Res., 57, 122–127, https://doi.org/10.1080/00288233.2014.893892, 2014.
Vijayakumar, P., Pandey, H. N., Singh, M., Dutt, T., and Tomar, A. K. S.:
Behavioural response to heat ameliorative measures on buffalo heifers, J. Appl. Anim. Res., 79,
433–436, 2009.
Villanueva, M. A., Mingala, C. N., Tubalinal, G. A. S., Gaban, P. B. V., Nakajima, C., and Suzuki, Y.: Emerging Infectious Diseases in Water Buffalo: An Economic and Public Health Concern, in: Emerging infectious diseases in water buffalo an economic and public health concern, IntechOpen, London, 54 pp., https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73395, 2018.
Wang, M., Alves, J., Tucker, M., Yang, W., and Ruckstuhl, K. E.: Effects of
intrinsic and extrinsic factors on ruminating, grazing, and bedding time in
bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), PLoS ONE, 13, e0206664,
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206664, 2018.
Wasserman, F. and Faust, C.: Social network analysis methods and
applications. Structural Analysis in the social Sciences, Vol. 8., Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, UK, 825 pp., 1997.
Watts, D. J. and Strogatz, S. H.: Collective dynamics of “small-world”
networks, Nature, 4, 393, 440–2, 1998.
Watts, D. P.: Grooming between male chimpanzees at Ngogo, Kibale National
Park. I. Partner Number and Diversity and Grooming Reciprocity, Int. J.
Primatol., 21, 189–210, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005469302911, 2000.
Weather Station of Chrysochorafa: Personal weather station Chrysochorafa Serron, available at: http://xrysoxorafa.meteoclub.gr/, last access: 6 August, 2016 (in Greek).
Whitehead, H.: Analysing animal social structure, Anim. Behav., 53,
1053–1067, https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.1996.0358, 1997.
Whitehead, H.: Analyzing animal societies. Quantitative methods for
vertebrate social analysis, University of Chicago Press, 351 pp., 2008.
Yang, S. and Knoke, D.: Optimal connections: strength and distance in valued
graphs, Soc. Networks, 23, 285–295, 2001.
Yiakoulaki, M. D., Hasanagas, N. D., Michelaki, E., Tsiobani, E. T., and
Antoniou, I. E.: Social network analysis of sheep grazing different plant
functional groups, Grass Forage Sci., 74, 129–140, https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12398, 2018.
Short summary
Proximity of water buffaloes in their activities on pasture (grazing, moving, standing, ruminating, wallowing, lying, and drinking) and the effect of their age and gender on them was studied via social network analysis. Water buffaloes differentiate their social structure in the above activities and their age and gender affect the interacting patterns. A novel framework for the application of social network analysis on grazing animals' social behavioral studies was provided for future research.
Proximity of water buffaloes in their activities on pasture (grazing, moving, standing,...