Competition for Total Mixed Diets Fed Restrictively Using One or Four Cows per Feeding Station
Titel:
Competition for Total Mixed Diets Fed Restrictively Using One or Four Cows per Feeding Station
Auteur:
Olofsson, Jan Wiktorsson, Hans
Verschenen in:
Acta agriculturae Scandinavica. Section A, Animal science
Paginering:
Jaargang 51 (2001) nr. 1 pagina's 59-70
Jaar:
2001-02-01
Inhoud:
A study was made of feed intake, behaviour and production in 16 dairy cows with one and four cows per feeding station (treatment 1c and 4c, respectively) with a restricted amount of a total mixed diet. The computerized feeding stations comprised continuously weighed feed-troughs placed at feeding gates. The cows were divided in two groups and were studied in a change-over experiment in which each group was submitted to each treatment twice. Video recordings and the computerized feeding system were used to collect data on the order of social dominance, aggression levels, time budgets and the consumption of feed and water. The effects of individual dominance value (DV), age, eating rate and energy requirements were recorded on ingestive behaviour. The cows on treatment 4c visited the feeding stations more often (106% more visits and 76% more meals) and shortened their feeding times by 50%, resulting in higher consumption rates compared with treatment 1c. In addition, aggression increased, resulting in a greater number of displacements at feeding. It is concluded that the investigated combination of competition for feeding space and restricted amounts of feed cannot be recommended.
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