Lincoln University PhD student Cristian Moreno has found some significant differences in Hereford cows’ grazing personalities in the early stages of a research project that uses GPS tracking collars to monitor the animals’ movements.
RNZ recently reported on the research, which also takes into account the genetic and environmental factors influencing the cows’ behaviour and aims to help high country farmers to make better use of their land.
So far, Cristian has found that while certain animals walk around 2km a day, there are cows travelling a lot further.
“Some animals naturally prefer to stay in flat and gentle sloped places, others choose to go somewhere up the hill and they might be more isolated,” he said.
Cristian is carrying out the study on four different Canterbury farms, including Lees Valley Station in North Canterbury.
Farm manager Brandon Dalton told RNZ the research could be a game-changer, as having stock that liked to explore meant a more varied diet for the cows.
“There’s so many steep hills, steep brushy country, and we’ve had issues in the past with stock hanging at the bottom and we have to push them up every day, or if they’re not doing well you just have to bring them down and there’s only so much room on the flat.
“So it’s about finding the right animals that can utilise that country.”
Cristian’s research is part of a wider project involving seven Lincoln University PhD researchers, who are investigating how to provide more diverse diets and grazing environments to cattle, sheep and deer.
Prof Pablo Gregorini, who’s supervising the students, told RNZ this would improve the wellbeing of the animals, while also having positive impacts on human health and the environment.
“These students are putting in a lot of hard work to help provide farmers with nutritional grazing and management tools to enhance their livestock’s good lives as much as possible.
“Eating those animals that have a healthier life, that live in a really rich environment, means we are going to create health for ourselves.”