Comparison of protein and energy supplementation to mineral supplementation on feeding behavior of grazing cattle during the rainy to the dry season transition

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Table 6 Number and time per period of feeding-related behavioral activities by dairy steers receiving protein-energy or mineral supplementation on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pastures

Item	Supplement		S.E.M.^c	P value
Item	Protein-energy	Mineral	S.E.M.^c	P value
Number of grazing periods^a	13.4	10.1	3.58	0.027
Number of rumination periods^a	15.4	13.8	2.92	0.088
Number of idle periods^a	23.5	19.6	4.00	0.032
Number of periods feeding at the trough^a	2.4	0.8	1.61	<0.001
Average time per grazing period (minutes)^b	48.2	69.6	8.43	0.008
Average time per rumination period (minutes)^b	24.5	28.4	4.83	0.120
Average time per idle period (minutes)^b	18.2	20.9	4.72	0.246
Average time per trough period (minutes)^b	13.6	7.3	3.56	<0.001

^aPerformed by counting periods of grazing, rumination and feeding in the trough (Silva et al. 2006)
^bObtained by dividing the daily times for each activity by the number of times the same activity (Smith et al. 2006)
^cS.E.M = standard error of the mean