I evaluated some of the factors affecting livestock distribution by conducting experimental (Chapters II and III) and observational (Chapter IV) studies. In Chapter II, I described the effect of locations of familiar foods and social interactions on choice of feeding location by lambs. Lambs were exposed to a pasture as subgroups of strangers and companions with different dietary habits (i.e., three lambs that preferred milo with three lambs that preferred wheat). Milo was placed on one end and wheat on the other, about 100 m apart. Strangers typically fed in different locations, reflecting dietary preferences. Conversely, companions fed in both single subgroups and in separate subgroups because both social interactions and dietary preferences affected choice of feeding location. The objective of Chapter III was to evaluate the effect of experience with a pasture on choice of feeding location. Lambs with different levels of familiarity with the pasture were exposed as subgroups with different dietary habits. Lambs familiar with the pasture typically fed in separate locations, reflecting dietary preferences. Lambs naive to the pasture always fed in one subgroup and consumed both foods because social interactions overrode dietary preferences. Results in Chapter IV describe cattle observations on a 1,030-ha grazing allotment. Cattle home ranges were similar in location (i.e., site fidelity) between 1990 and 1991, even though home ranges increased in size and (or) shifted in location in response to water availability. Moreover, forage availability did not account for changes in home range size or location. Site fidelity probably developed because of experiences early in life while foraging with mother and (or) peers. Managers may be able to improve distribution by manipulating foraging experiences. Placing familiar foods/supplements in underutilized areas, controlling the amount of experience livestock have with different habitat types, and culling animals that spend a disproportionate amount of time in riparian zones may improve · distribution. Herding could also improve distribution. Herding integrates social interactions and experience with foods by controlling the exposure of social groups to particular foods and habitats. Nevertheless, livestock may still spend considerable time in riparian zones unless other watering points are available.

La cryptosporidiose est une infection du tube digestif, causée par un protozoaire du genre Cryptosporidium, à l'origine de diarrhées néonatales chez les jeunes ruminants. Cette affection revêt une importance en santé publique et en santé animale, ces deux aspects étant liés par l’existence d'espèces zoonotiques, la principale étant C. parvum. Les données sur l'épidémiologie moléculaire de Cryptosporidium spp chez les ruminants abondent au niveau international mais sont limitées pour la France. Ce travail a confirmé la forte prévalence et les forts niveaux d'excrétion en oocystes de Cryptosporidium chez les jeunes ruminants. L'espèce C. parvum a été identifiée aussi bien chez les veaux, les chevreaux que chez les agneaux. A l'inverse, les espèces C. xiaoi (chez le jeune) et C. ubiquitum (adultes en gestation) n'ont été retrouvées que chez les caprins et les espèces C. bovis et C. ryanae uniquement chez les veaux.Deux espèces zoonotiques ont été identifiées, C. ubiquitum et C. parvum. Tous les sous-types de C. parvum identifiés appartiennent à la famille zoonotique IIa. Le sous-type IIaA15G2R1 a été majoritairement retrouvé quelle que soit l'espèce hôte. Cette observation confirme ce qui a été observé dans d'autres pays à savoir le rôle de réservoir des jeunes ruminants dans la transmission d'isolats de C. parvum à l'homme. Enfin, ce travail a mis en évidence la complexité de l'épidémiologie de l'infection par Cryptosporidium spp avec une évolution de la prévalence et du niveau d'excrétion ainsi que de la distribution des espèces et sous-types de C. parvum d'une année sur l'autre au sein d'un même élevage. / Cryptosporidiosis is an infection of the digestive tract due to protozoa of the genus Cryptosporidium, which cause neonatal diarrhoea in young ruminants. This infection has a real significance in public and animal health; in fact, both of these aspects are bound by the existence of zoonotic species including C. parvum, the predominant species. Molecular epidemiology data on Cryptosporidium spp are very numerous over the world; however, little information has been published in France.This work confirmed the high prevalence and high level of excretion of Cryptosporidium oocysts in young ruminants. C. parvum species was identified in calves, goat kids and also in lambs. By contrast, the two species, C. xiaoi (goat kids) and C. ubiquitum (pregnant goats) were only found in goats whereas C. bovis and C. ryanae were observed only in calves.Two zoonotic species have been identified: C. ubiquitum and C. parvum. All C. parvum subtypes belongs to the IIa zoonotic family. IIaA15G2R1 subtype was mainly found in all ruminants' species. This observation confirms the potential role of young ruminants in transmission of zoonotic isolates of C. parvum to humans which has already been observed in previous studies over the world. Finally, this work highlighted the complexity of the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp infection, in particular the evolution in the prevalence and level of excretion and in the distribution of Cryptosporidium spp species or C. parvum subtypes according to the year of sampling in the same livestock.