| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Department of Dairy and Animal Science The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802
Corresponding author: A. J. Heinrichs; e-mail: ajh{at}psu.edu.
The objective of this experiment was to evaluate effects of reducing corn silage particle size on eating behavior, chewing activity, and rumen fermentation in lactating dairy cows. Four cannulated, multiparous cows averaging 110 ± 4 d in milk and weighing 675 ± 70 kg were randomly assigned to a 4 x 4 Latin square. During each of four 14-d periods, animals were offered one of four diets that were chemically similar but varied in corn silage particle size: short (SH), mostly short (MSH), mostly long (MLG), and long (LG), with a geometric mean particle length of 7.4, 7.8, 8.3, and 8.8 mm, respectively. Reducing particle size increased dry matter intake (DMI) linearly (28.0, 26.8, 26.8, and 25.7 kg/d for SH, MSH, MLG, and LG respectively). At 8, 16, and 24 h postfeeding, the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration of feed remaining in the bunk decreased linearly with reduced particle size. Time spent eating or ruminating was not different across treatments; however, total chewing activity (TC; sum of time spent eating and ruminating) exhibited a quadratic response with highest chewing activities observed for diets with shortest and longest particle size. Eating or ruminating time per kilogram of DMI was not affected by corn silage particle size, but TC per kilogram of DMI decreased linearly with decreasing particle size. In comparison, when expressed as minutes per unit of NDF intake (NDFI), ruminating, and TC were linearly reduced as particle size decreased. Rumen pH was not affected by corn silage particle size even though total concentration of volatile fatty acids increased linearly from 89.1 mM/L to 93.6 mM/L as diet particle size decreased. A quadratic effect was observed in molar proportion of acetate and propionate with the highest concentration observed in animals consuming diets of intermediate particle size. Results of this experiment suggest that reducing corn silage particle size may increase DMI, positively affect rumen fermentation, and reduce sorting behavior. Because both chewing activity and sorting tendencies increased when proportion of TMR particles > 19.0 mm increased, results suggest that particle size measurement as estimated by the PSPS is useful in understanding some factors that affect feeding behavior.
Key Words: rumen • eating behavior • pH • rumination
Abbreviation key: LG = long treatment containing long harvested corn silage, MLG = intermediate long treatment composed of 2 parts LG, 1 part SH (DM basis), MSH = intermediate short treatment composed of 1 part LG, 2 parts SH (DM basis), NDFI = neutral detergent fiber intake, peNDF = physically effective neutral detergent fiber, PSPS = Penn State Particle Separator, Sgm = geometric standard deviation, SH = short treatment containing rechopped corn silage, TC = total chewing activity, TCL = theoretical cut length, Xgm = geometric mean length
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. M. Greter, T. J. DeVries, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk Nutrient Intake and Feeding Behavior of Growing Dairy Heifers: Effects of Dietary Dilution J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2008; 91(7): 2786 - 2795. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q. Zebeli, M. Tafaj, B. Junck, V. Olschlager, B. N. Ametaj, and W. Drochner Evaluation of the Response of Ruminal Fermentation and Activities of Nonstarch Polysaccharide-Degrading Enzymes to Particle Length of Corn Silage in Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2008; 91(6): 2388 - 2398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q. Zebeli, J. Dijkstra, M. Tafaj, H. Steingass, B. N. Ametaj, and W. Drochner Modeling the Adequacy of Dietary Fiber in Dairy Cows Based on the Responses of Ruminal pH and Milk Fat Production to Composition of the Diet J Dairy Sci, May 1, 2008; 91(5): 2046 - 2066. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. Gehman, P. J. Kononoff, C. R. Mullins, and B. N. Janicek Evaluation of Nitrogen Utilization and the Effects of Monensin in Dairy Cows Fed Brown Midrib Corn Silage J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2008; 91(1): 288 - 300. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. DeVries, K. A. Beauchemin, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk Dietary Forage Concentration Affects the Feed Sorting Behavior of Lactating Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2007; 90(12): 5572 - 5579. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. Z. Yang and K. A. Beauchemin Altering Physically Effective Fiber Intake Through Forage Proportion and Particle Length: Chewing and Ruminal pH J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2007; 90(6): 2826 - 2838. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. K. Bhandari, K. H. Ominski, K. M. Wittenberg, and J. C. Plaizier Effects of Chop Length of Alfalfa and Corn Silage on Milk Production and Rumen Fermentation of Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, May 1, 2007; 90(5): 2355 - 2366. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Rustomo, O. AlZahal, N. E. Odongo, T. F. Duffield, and B. W. McBride Effects of Rumen Acid Load from Feed and Forage Particle Size on Ruminal pH and Dry Matter Intake in the Lactating Dairy Cow J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2006; 89(12): 4758 - 4768. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. J. Couderc, D. H. Rearte, G. F. Schroeder, J. I. Ronchi, and F. J. Santini Silage chop length and hay supplementation on milk yield, chewing activity, and ruminal digestion by dairy cows. J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2006; 89(9): 3599 - 3608. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. Z. Yang and K. A. Beauchemin Physically effective fiber: method of determination and effects on chewing, ruminal acidosis, and digestion by dairy cows. J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2006; 89(7): 2618 - 2633. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. B. Penner, K. A. Beauchemin, and T. Mutsvangwa An evaluation of the accuracy and precision of a stand-alone submersible continuous ruminal pH measurement system. J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2006; 89(6): 2132 - 2140. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q. Zebeli, M. Tafaj, H. Steingass, B. Metzler, and W. Drochner Effects of Physically Effective Fiber on Digestive Processes and Milk Fat Content in Early Lactating Dairy Cows Fed Total Mixed Rations J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2006; 89(2): 651 - 668. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. Z. Yang and K. A. Beauchemin Effects of Physically Effective Fiber on Chewing Activity and Ruminal pH of Dairy Cows Fed Diets Based on Barley Silage J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2006; 89(1): 217 - 228. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. E. Armentano and D. Taysom Short Communication: Prediction of Mean Particle Size and Proportion of Very Long Fiber Particles from Simplified Sieving Results J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2005; 88(11): 3982 - 3985. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. DeVries, M. A. G. von Keyserlingk, and K. A. Beauchemin Frequency of Feed Delivery Affects the Behavior of Lactating Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2005; 88(10): 3553 - 3562. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. A. Beauchemin and W. Z. Yang Effects of Physically Effective Fiber on Intake, Chewing Activity, and Ruminal Acidosis for Dairy Cows Fed Diets Based on Corn Silage J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2005; 88(6): 2117 - 2129. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Leonardi, F. Giannico, and L. E. Armentano Effect of Water Addition on Selective Consumption (Sorting) of Dry Diets by Dairy Cattle J Dairy Sci, March 1, 2005; 88(3): 1043 - 1049. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. Z. Yang and K. A. Beauchemin Effects of Physically Effective Fiber on Digestion and Milk Production by Dairy Cows Fed Diets Based on Corn Silage J Dairy Sci, March 1, 2005; 88(3): 1090 - 1098. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. C. Plaizier Replacing Chopped Alfalfa Hay with Alfalfa Silage in Barley Grain and Alfalfa-Based Total Mixed Rations for Lactating Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2004; 87(8): 2495 - 2505. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. L. Ebling and L. Kung Jr. A Comparison of Processed Conventional Corn Silage to Unprocessed and Processed Brown Midrib Corn Silage on Intake, Digestion, and Milk Production by Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2004; 87(8): 2519 - 2526. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. C. Stone Nutritional Approaches to Minimize Subacute Ruminal Acidosis and Laminitis in Dairy Cattle J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2004; 87(13_suppl): E13 - 26. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
