FORAGING STRATEGIES OF CATTLE IN A Y-MAZE - INFLUENCE OF FOOD AVAILABILITY

Three studies were conducted to investigate how cattle determine where to begin a foraging bout. Studies were designed to measure (1) the in herent tendency of cattle to shift after a successful foraging bout, a nd (2) the way cattle cognitively change foraging strategies in respon se to a change in food availability. The apparatus was a Y-maze. Cattl e were placed in a start box, allowed to enter either arm of the maze and consume food at the end of the arm alley. One trial consisted of t wo or three choices. After consumption of a certain amount of food, ca ttle were returned to the start box and allowed to choose either arm. On the second choice, cattle were allowed to consume all the food (dep letion) remaining in the feed box. On the third choice, therefore, cat tle had to choose an arm other than the second choice in order to get food. A return to the previous arm was recorded as a 'stay'. Choice of the other arm was recorded as a 'shift'. The strategy of each cow was determined using the binomial test. Since cattle could get food (winn ing situation) on the first choice, the strategies were termed 'win-st ay' or 'win-shift'. Initially, cattle displayed either random behavior or a win-stay strategy. Lateral preferences on the first choice were also determined using the binomial test. When cattle did not exhibit a lateral preference, the one-sample runs test was used for further ana lysis. When cattle were faced with a losing possibility, because food was depleted, they increased the frequency with which they used a win- shift strategy. They continued to shift, even after the possibility of losing was removed. The possibility of losing seems to be very import ant in decision making of cattle. Apparently, cattle do not have an in herent tendency to shift after a successful bout. Cattle learned strat egies to deal with the task.