| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
,1,2
* Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PO Box 3000, Research Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1J 4B1, Canada
Animal Welfare Program, The University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
1 Corresponding author: tdevries{at}kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca
The objective of this study was to determine whether the amount of forage in a total mixed ration influences feed sorting by cows and whether the extent of this sorting changes as they adapt to a new diet. Six lactating Holstein cows, individually fed once per day, were provided each of 2 diets in a crossover design (dry matter basis): 1) a higher forage diet (HF; 62.3% forage), and 2) a lower forage diet (LF; 50.7% forage). Dry matter intake, feeding behavior, and sorting activity were monitored for each cow on each diet for 7 d. Fresh feed and orts were sampled daily for each cow and subjected to neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and particle size analysis. The particle size separator contained 2 screens (18 and 9 mm) and a bottom pan, resulting in 3 fractions (long, medium, and short). Sorting activity [for each fraction, NDF and physically effective NDF (peNDF)] was calculated as the actual intake expressed as a percentage of the predicted intake. Overall, sorting activity was greatest on the LF diet, with cows sorting for short particles but against long particles, medium particles, NDF, and peNDF. On the HF diet, cows sorted against long particles, NDF, and peNDF and sorted for short particles. Treatment x day interactions occurred for sorting for short particles and against peNDF, indicating that it took cows 1 d to adjust their sorting behavior to the LF diet. Cows on the LF diet consumed more dry matter but spent less time feeding, which resulted in a greater intake rate compared with cows on the HF diet. These results indicate that cows rapidly adjust their sorting behavior when subjected to a dietary change, and they exhibit more sorting for short particles and against long particles, NDF, and peNDF when fed an LF diet.
Key Words: sorting • forage concentration • particle size
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  T. J. DeVries, K. A. Beauchemin, F. Dohme, and K. S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein Repeated ruminal acidosis challenges in lactating dairy cows at high and low risk for developing acidosis: Feeding, ruminating, and lying behavior J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2009; 92(10): 5067 - 5078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. K. Miller-Cushon and T. J. DeVries Effect of dietary dry matter concentration on the sorting behavior of lactating dairy cows fed a total mixed ration J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2009; 92(7): 3292 - 3298. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. Z. Yang and K. A. Beauchemin Increasing physically effective fiber content of dairy cow diets through forage proportion versus forage chop length: Chewing and ruminal pH J Dairy Sci, April 1, 2009; 92(4): 1603 - 1615. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. R. Oelker, C. Reveneau, and J. L. Firkins Interaction of molasses and monensin in alfalfa hay- or corn silage-based diets on rumen fermentation, total tract digestibility, and milk production by Holstein cows J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2009; 92(1): 270 - 285. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J. DeVries, F. Dohme, and K. A. Beauchemin Repeated Ruminal Acidosis Challenges in Lactating Dairy Cows at High and Low Risk for Developing Acidosis: Feed Sorting J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2008; 91(10): 3958 - 3967. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
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]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Hosseinkhani, T. J. DeVries, K. L. Proudfoot, R. Valizadeh, D. M. Veira, and M. A. G. von Keyserlingk The Effects of Feed Bunk Competition on the Feed Sorting Behavior of Close-Up Dry Cows J Dairy Sci, March 1, 2008; 91(3): 1115 - 1121. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
