Dry matter intake (DMI) is a major limitation to milk production in dairy cows, but is difficult to measure under commercial conditions where cows are housed and fed in groups. Several methods have been developed to estimate DMI by individual cows, such as using inert markers, where dual markers can be used to predict digestibility and faecal output simultaneously. However, their scope is limited by the laboratory analyses required and there are problems with marker dosing and recovery. Predictions of DMI by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) have been reported, but they have been based on scanning forage samples to predict intake potential. Since DMI is a function of the animal as well as the diet, it is more logical to scan samples of faeces when predicting individual intakes. The objective of this study was to see whether NIRS could accurately predict DMI from faecal samples of individual cows.
Prediction of quality of total mixed ration for dairy cows by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy and empirical equations
