The behaviour of an animal IS controlled
by many factors. Among the most important
are nutrition and physiological thermoregulation.
The regulation of feed intake to provide for
maintenance and productive requirement is also
greatly influenced by the regulation of body
temperature which is related to the optimal
thermal conditions for biochemical processes.
In the hot humid environment of Malaysia,
the behaviour of the animals greatly narrows the
range of heat loads from that of autonomic
thermoregulation. When buffaloes are allowed
to graze in an open field they exhibit behavioural
changes adaptable to the environment. This
knowledge enables us to understand and provide
the necessary requirements for the buffaloes to
achieve optimal production. This study was
conducted to determine the behaviour of buffaloes
in the open field by recording the various activities
exhibited by buffaloes during a defined time
period.an eleven-acre pasture in the UPM farm at
Puchong. The grazing area selected enclosed a
pool of water so that the animals could have
access to wallowing. A water tank was also
placed inside the paddock to provide drinking
water.
Observation of the behaviour of the buffaloes
in the paddock was done from a tower placed on
high ground at one corner of the paddock. The
animals were observed for twenty-four hours
for two days with the aid of a pair of binoculars.
White markers on the body and the horn were
used to identify the buffaloes. Day was defined
from 8.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. and night was from
8.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m.