Effects of rain and fly harassment on the feeding behaviour of free-ranging feral goats

Citation

Brindley EL, Bullock DJ & Maisels F (1989) Effects of rain and fly harassment on the feeding behaviour of free-ranging feral goats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 24 (1), pp. 31-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591%2889%2990123-8

Abstract
This paper describes the effects of rain and the headfly (Hydrotaea irritans) on the feeding behaviour of feral goats. Rain reduced feeding bout lengths and caused an increase in the use of both man-made and natural shelter (vegetation), resulting in reductions in daily feeding time. Feeding time was particularly reduced for those goats which had been shorn. Goats responded to increasing fly abundance by increasing their rates of head shaking, ear flicking and movement. Feeding bout lengths and the number of feeding stations used decreased in response to increasing fly abundance. In general, increasing fly abundance was associated with decreased feeding time. Shorn goats were particularly susceptible to fly harassment and showed a correspondingly greater loss in feeding time than unshorn goats. The study demonstrated the importance of shelter to goats, especially those that have been shorn.

Journal
Applied Animal Behaviour Science: Volume 24, Issue 1

People

Professor Fiona Maisels

Honorary Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences