scholarly journals Inter- and Intra-Individual Variation in the Behavior of Feed Intake on Nutrient Availability in Early Lactating Dairy Cows

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Theresa Rumphorst ◽  
Theresa Scheu ◽  
Christian Koch ◽  
Albert Sundrum

Since energetic deficits in dairy cows can only be reduced at an animal level, the objective of the present study was to determine the extent of variation in intake behavior within and between animals during early lactation, to explore the magnitude of interactions between feed intake, intake behavior and nutrient digestibility, and to identify levers for maximizing feed intake at the individual animal level. Feeding behavior, intake and nutrient digestibility of 28 German Holstein dairy cows, fed TMR with 7.0 MJ NEL, were studied between the 2nd and 15th week after calving. Dry matter intake was assessed daily and nutrient digestibility weekly, with iNDF240 as an intrinsic marker. Results showed high intra- and inter-individual variation in intake behavior parameters with coefficients of variation (CV) up to 0.58 in meal frequency. Nutrient digestibility varied only slightly with CV values up to 0.10 in crude protein. Milk yield, meal frequency, feeding time, feeding rate and meal size had significant positive effects on DMI (p < 0.01). To achieve long-term improvements in feed intake, it is important to optimize feed intake and feeding behavior of individual animals by improving feeding conditions and develop technical tools to identify animals with insufficient feed intake.

Dairy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 684-694
Author(s):  
Lenka Krpálková ◽  
Niall O’Mahony ◽  
Anderson Carvalho ◽  
Sean Campbell ◽  
Gerard Corkery ◽  
...  

Identification of the associations of cow feed efficiency with feeding behaviour and milk production is important for supporting recommendations of strategies that optimise milk yield. The objective of this study was to identify associations between measures of feed efficiency, feed intake, feeding rate, rumination time, feeding time, and milk production using data collected from 26 dairy cows during a 3 month period in 2018. Cows averaged (mean ± standard deviation) 2.2 ± 1.7 lactations, 128 ± 40 days in milk, 27.5 ± 5.5 kg/day milk, 1.95 ± 0.69 kg feed/1 kg milk—the measure used to express feed conversion ratio (FCR), 575 ± 72 min/day rumination time, and 264 ± 67 min/day feeding time during the observation period. The coefficient of variation for rumination time (min/d) was 12.5%. A mixed linear model was selected for analyses. The most feed inefficient cows with the highest FCR (≥2.6 kg feed/1 kg milk) showed the lowest milk yield (24.8 kg/day), highest feed intake (78.8 kg), highest feeding rate (0.26 kg/min) and BCS (3.35 point). However, the relative milk yield (milk yield per 100 kg of body weight) was the highest (4.01 kg/day) in the most efficient group with the lowest FCR (≤1.4 kg feed/1 kg milk). Our study showed that the most efficient cows with the lowest FCR (≤1.4 kg feed/1 kg milk) had the highest rumination time (597 min/day; p < 0.05), feeding time (298 min/day; p < 0.05), rumination/activity ratio (4.39; p < 0.05) and rumination/feeding ratio (2.04; p < 0.05). Less active cows (activity time 164 min/day; p < 0.05) were the most efficient cows with the lowest FCR (≤1.4 kg feed/1 kg milk). The behavioural differences observed in this study provide new insight into the association of feed behaviour and feed efficiency with milk performance. Incorporating feeding behaviour into the dry matter intake model can improve its accuracy in the future and benefit breeding programmes.


Author(s):  
N. Suphrap ◽  
C. Wachirapakorn ◽  
C. Thamrongyoswittayakul and C. Wongnen

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of vegetable oil and yeast fermented cassava pulp (YFCP) supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation in Thai Friesian dairy cows (Thai native x Holstein Friesian). Eight Thai Friesian dairy cows (447±44 kg.BW) were assigned to 4×4 double latin square design (DLSD) with two sources of oil i.e. palm oil (PO) or soybean oil (SBO) and four levels of YFCP (0, 5, 10 and 20%DM) in the dietary treatments. All cows received total mixed ration (TMR) comprised of rice straw to concentrate at a ratio of 40:60. The results showed that supplementation of SBO had lowered feed intake, nutrients digestibility, metabolize energy intake (MEI), total digestible nutrient (TDN) and methane emission than PO treatment. However, cows received SBO had greater total volatile fatty acid (TVFA), propionic acid (C3), butyric acid (C4) than cows received on PO (P less than 0.05). In addition, supplementation of YFCP at 10%DM in the diet as an optimum level in dairy cow diets (P greater than 0.05). Finally, the interaction between the addition of SBO and YFCP at 10%DM (SBO+YFCP) had a positive effect on enhancing ether extract intake (EEI) in dairy cows.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 549
Author(s):  
Xiaoli Zhang ◽  
Chunyu Jiang ◽  
Qinghua Gao ◽  
Duanqin Wu ◽  
Shaoxun Tang ◽  
...  

This study evaluated the effects of alkyl polyglycoside (APG), which is a non-ionic surfactant, on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites in dairy cows. Twenty dairy cows were randomly divided into four groups and fed a basal diet that included pelleted concentrate, distillers grains, and fresh limpograss. The four treatments included 0, 5.5, 11 and 22 mL APG per kg of pelleted concentrate on a dry matter basis; treatments were defined as APG0, APG5.5, APG11, and APG22, respectively. Dry matter intake was not affected by APG supplementation. There was an increase in milk yield (from 13.96 to 16.71 kg/day) and increases in milk fat (quadratic, p = 0.04), protein (quadratic, p = 0.10), and lactose concentrations (linear, p = 0.07) with increasing APG supplementation. In addition, APG supplementation increased (p ≤ 0.03) the milk fat, protein, solid non-fat, and total solid yields, while the lactose yield increased (linear, p = 0.01) as the APG level increased. Dietary APG supplementation had no effect on nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites. It was concluded that the addition of APG at doses up to 22 mL/kg of pelleted concentrate had positive effects on the milk composition in dairy cows.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joelson Antonio Silva ◽  
Camilla Gabriela Miranda Silva ◽  
Daniel De Paula Sousa ◽  
Nelcino Francisco de Paula ◽  
Ana Paula Da Silva Carvalho ◽  
...  

This study aimed to evaluate the supplementation strategies on forage intake and nutrient digestibility, feeding behavior, milk production and composition, feed efficiency, nitrogen balance and body weight change of dairy cows kept in Tanzania grass pastures (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania) in the dry season. We used eight crossbred Holstein and Zebu cows in the final third of lactation, with an average weight of 505±44 kg and initial milk production of 9.0±1.44 kg day-1, in a double 4X4 Latin square design. The experiment consisted of four experimental periods of 17 days each, with nine days for initial adaptation and eight days to collect data. Treatments consisted of mineral mix and supplements (energy, protein or multiple) provided in the amount of 2 kg per cow day-1. Supplements promoted increased consumption of dry matter and nutrients (P < 0.05), without changing the forage intake in relation to the mineral mixture. The treatments did not affect the feeding behavior of animals (P > 0.05). There was an increase (P < 0.05) of 19.51% in milk production in the supplemented animals and productive responses approximate marginal 0.64 kg of milk for each kg of supplied supplement, however, the different supplements promoted a drop in the milk fat. There were higher net energy values of animal lactation for protein-energy supplementation and mineral mixture, but no change was observed in feed efficiency and energy efficiency. The performance of dairy cows kept in tropical grass pasture can be improved with the use of a concentrate supplementation of 0.40% of body weight per day-1 without compromising the forage intake of animals.


Author(s):  
N. Suphrap ◽  
C. Wachirapakorn ◽  
C. Thamrongyoswittayakul ◽  
C. Wongnen

The investigation aimed to study the effect of vegetable oil sources on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and biohydrogenation bacterial population in Thai Friesian dairy cows. Three fistula Thai Friesian cows with mean body weight (BW) of 600±100 kg were assigned to receive three vegetable oil sources i.e. palm oil (PO), soybean oil (SBO) and sunflower oil (SFO) included at 4 %DM in commercial concentrate. All cows were fed on different diets that contained concentrate of 1 %BW and rice straw of 1 %BW according to a 3×3 latin square design (LSD). The results revealed that dry matter digestibility (DMD) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) tended to be higher in cows fed on SBO and SFO (P=0.06). Moreover, the DNA copy numbers (copies/ml) of biohydrogenation bacteria (Ruminococcus albus) and cellulolytic bacteria (Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Prevotella ruminicola) were higher in cows fed on SBO (P less than 0.05). In summary, supplementation of SBO in diet resulted in a higher nutrient digestibility and rumen biohydrogenation bacteria population.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia I. Kehoe ◽  
Paweł Górka ◽  
Zhijun J. Cao

Supplementing forage to preweaned calves has shown some positive effects, such as stabilization of the rumen environment, limiting abnormal behaviors, and increasing starter intake. However, dry forages can be limited and cost prohibitive in some areas of the world. Contrastingly, ensiled forages are commonly found on most dairy farms and are low cost. Therefore, the objective of this review was to focus specifically on ensiled forages and how they affect preweaned calves. There are few studies that have focused on providing ensiled forages and most of them have used corn silage. Although impacts on rumen development and nutrient digestibility have been variable, feed intake and efficiency were not affected in most reviewed studies. Growth and health parameters were also either not affected or improved. Therefore, with careful silage feeding management, the supplementation of ensiled feeds may be used to provide similar benefits of dry forages to preweaned dairy calves.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 134-134
Author(s):  
Chalermpon Yuangklang ◽  
Kraisit Vasupen ◽  
Paiwon Srenanul ◽  
Sasiphan Wongsuthavas ◽  
Jumlong Mitchaothai ◽  
...  

Goat production in northeast of Thailand has gradually increased, partly because of the limited land available to raise cattle. The other reason is that goats can give twin kids and can give birth twice a year under good management. Tomato pomace is a by product from the tomato juice factory. Dried tomato pomace is a promising protein source with high protein content. The price of dried tomato pomace is cheaper than soybean protein when expressed as price per unit protein. The trial of Yuangklang et al. (2006) found that dried tomato pomace increased growth rate in beef cattle. In dairy cows, replacing soybean meal by dried tomato pomace did not influence milk production (Yuangklag et al., 2005). Data on utilisation of dried tomato pomace in goats is limited. Therefore the present experiment aimed to investigate the effects of substitution of soybean protein by dried tomato pomace in the concentrate diet on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen utilization of meat goats.


2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (8) ◽  
pp. 849-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac J. Salfer ◽  
Kevin J. Harvatine

AbstractThe timing of feed intake can alter circadian rhythms of peripheral tissues. Milk synthesis displays a daily rhythm across several species, but the effect of feeding time on these rhythms is poorly characterised. The objective of this experiment was to determine if the time of feed intake modifies the daily patterns of milk synthesis, plasma metabolites and body temperature in dairy cows. Sixteen lactating Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment sequences in a cross-over design with 17 d periods. Treatments included day-restricted feeding (DRF; feed available from 07.00 to 23.00 hours) and night-restricted feeding (NRF; feed available from 19.00 to 11.00 hours). Cows were milked every 6 h on the last 7 d of each period, and blood samples were collected to represent every 4 h over the day. Peak milk yield was shifted from morning in DRF to evening in NRF, while milk fat, protein and lactose concentration peaked in the evening in DRF and the morning in NRF. Plasma glucose, insulin, NEFA and urea nitrogen concentration fit daily rhythms in all treatments. Night feeding increased the amplitude of glucose, insulin and NEFA rhythms and shifted the daily rhythms by 8 to 12 h (P < 0·05). Night feeding also phase-delayed the rhythm of core body temperature and DRF increased its amplitude. Altering the time of feed availability shifts the daily rhythms of milk synthesis and plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations and body temperature, suggesting that these rhythms may be entrained by food intake.


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