Temperament Affects Rangeland Use Patterns and Reproductive Performance of Beef Cows

Abstract

On the Ground • The American beef industry is paying more attention to cattle temperament, but studies examining relationships between temperaments and grazing behavior or animal performance on rangelands are limited. • We studied range beef cow temperaments using the behavioral syndromes framework. Cows classified into behavioral type groups on the basis of a suite of correlated behaviors showed contrasting rangeland use patterns and different reproductive efficiency. These differences resulted in temperament-related culling rates over time. • We argue that the behavioral syndromes conceptual framework could be a valuable tool to advance current understanding about how cattle temperaments are related to grazing patterns and animal performance on rangeland.