What We Know

For twenty-five years, the BEHAVE program has conducted basic research focused on how animals learn about foods and environments, and factors that affect diet and habitat selection. Consequently, the majority of our work has been conducted in pens or small pastures. Understanding the principles that govern diet and habitat selection will ultimately enable land managers to improve management of their animals and resources but moving research results from pen trials to pastures or rangelands can prove difficult. The “What we know ” guidelines highlight research results, ours and others, on each topic and will hopefully help producers apply this knowledge on their operations.

We are just beginning to put these guidelines together. We will create additional guidelines over the next several months future topics include: 1) feedlot livestock - alternatives to total mixed rations, 2) training animals to eat unpalatable species, 3) supplementation to increase use of unpalatable species, 4) attracting animals to foraging locations and more.

Also, check out Application Stories for examples and stories of how managers use behavioral principles on their operations.