摘要
The objectives of this research were to describe the feed sorting, feeding behavior, and feed intake of cows consuming a close-up ration and to determine if these behaviors are affected by competition for access to the feed bunk. Thirty-six dry Holstein cows, consuming a close-up total mixed ration diet, were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) noncompetitive (1 cow/feed bin) or 2) competitive (2 cows/feed bin). Dry matter intake, feeding behavior, and sorting behavior were monitored for each feed bin on 4 separate days during wk 2 and 3 before the anticipated calving dates of the cows. Fresh feed and orts were sampled daily from each bin and were subjected to particle size analysis. The particle size separator consisted of 3 screens (18, 9, and 1.18 mm) and a bottom pan resulting in 4 fractions (long, medium, short, and fine). Sorting was calculated as the actual intake of each particle size fraction expressed as a percentage of the predicted intake of that fraction. Regardless of treatment, the cows sorted against long particles and for short and fine particles. Competition at the feed bunk had no effect on the sorting behavior, dry matter intake, or feeding time of the cows, but did dramatically increase the feeding rate of the cows. The competitively fed cows also had fewer meals per day, and tended to have larger and longer meals. Our results suggest that increased competition at the feed bunk promotes feeding behavior patterns that will likely increase the between-cow variation in composition of total mixed ration consumed.
摘要译文
这项研究的目的是描述饲料分类，喂养行为，并且采食特写日粮的奶牛采食量，并确定这些行为是否受到进入上下铺的竞争的影响。三十六只干荷斯坦奶牛，食用特写全混合日粮，分为2种处理中的1种：1）非竞争性（1头牛/饲料仓）或2）竞争性（2头奶牛/饲料仓）。干物质摄入量，摄食行为，在预期的奶牛产犊日期之前的第2天和第3天，在4个不同的日子监测每个饲料仓的分拣行为。每天从每个箱中取样新鲜饲料和样品并进行粒度分析。粒度分离器由3个筛网（18,9和1）组成。18毫米）和底盘产生4个部分（长，中，短和细）。分选计算为每个粒度级分的实际摄入量，表示为该级分的预测摄入量的百分比。无论治疗如何，奶牛根据长粒子和短粒子和细粒子分类。饲料铺位上的竞争对奶牛的分类行为，干物质摄入量或喂养时间没有影响，但确实大大提高了奶牛的喂养率。竞争激烈的奶牛每天的用餐量也较少，而且往往会吃更多更长的饭菜。我们的研究结果表明，饲料铺位上的竞争加剧促进了饲养行为模式，这可能会增加所消耗的总混合日粮成分之间的牛变异。
A.Hosseinkhani[*];T.J.DeVries[†];K.L.Proudfoot[‡];R.Valizadeh[*];D.M.Veira[§];M.A.G.von Keyserlingk[‡];. The Effects of Feed Bunk Competition on the Feed Sorting Behavior of Close-Up Dry Cows[J]. Journal of Dairy Science, 2008,91(3): 1115-1121