![]() ![]() ![]() Although data collected by individual animal-borne POV cameras were representative of the flock behaviour, they may underestimate the total grazing time outside major meals. ![]() Grazing selectivity was more pronounced in late spring, with sheep favouring the middle stratum of the sward’s vertical structure, preferring green vegetative material, while enlarging the feeding niches’ span and spending more time at each niche, consequently reducing the station rate. The proportion of forbs in the diet remained high in early and late spring, and forbs and legumes were preferred to grasses in early spring. Diet composition also changed as sward matured. Sheep compensate for the decrease in sward quantity and nutritive value by increasing the size and duration at each behavioural scale (i.e., meal, bout, and station) while increasing the bout rate and decreasing the station rate. Overall, the results demonstrate that POV cameras were able to capture grazing behaviour fine-tuning to changes in sward characteristics. Sward variables on a Mediterranean native sward were measured for two years during the active spring plant-growth cycle. Time-specific sward features were measured by sampling ‘really’ grazed patches identified by applying a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) precision-grazing approach. ![]() We observed grazing ‘through’ the sheep’s eyes using point-of-view (POV) cameras coupled with event logging software. This study uses video sequences from animal-borne cameras to capture time- and scale-dependent grazing behaviour variables related to sward explanatory conditions. Grazing patterns, intake structure, and diet selection are dynamic responses to animals’ feeding environment. ![]()
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