A NOTE ON THE CIRCADIAN-RHYTHM AND FEEDING-BEHAVIOR OF SHEEP FITTED WITH A LIGHTWEIGHT GPS COLLAR

The circadian rhythm and feeding behaviour (bite rate) of 16 Scottish Blackface ewes of which eight were fitted with a lightweight (863 g) G PS collar were examined. The collar consisted of a leather harness and a 0.5 1 aluminium box and represented 2.2% of the average body mass o f the study ewes. No differences in circadian rhythm and bite rate wer e found between ewes fitted with the collars and ewes that were not. T he relevance of using collar weight as a proportion of body mass as a guide to gauge its impact on the feeding behaviour of small ruminant ( 35-75 kg) herbivores is questioned. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.