Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-19T18:51:41.271Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prediction of the voluntary intake of food by dairy cows: 1. Stall-fed cows in late pregnancy and early lactation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. K. Curran ,
R. H. Wimble  and
W. Holmes
M. K. Curran
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
R. H. Wimble
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
W. Holmes
Affiliation:
Wye College (University of London), Ashford, Kent
Get access

Summary

Data from 22, 28, 36 and 41 pregnant cows in weeks 4, 3, 2 and 1 before calving respectively and 51, 65, 56 and 36 cows in weeks 1 to 4, 5 to 8, 9 to 12 and 13 to 16 of lactation respectively were used in multiple regression analyses to study the feasibility of predicting the daily total and the roughage organic matter and digestible organic matter intakes of cows given known weights of concentrates plus roughage ad libitum. The digestibility of the total intake and of the roughage component, the weight of concentrates eaten per day, the proportion of roughage in the total intake, age, milk yield, fat-corrected milk yield, live-weight gain and the 1·0, 0·73 and 0·66 exponents of live weight were used as independent variables.

The accuracy of the models was assessed from the significance of the partial regression coefficients, the size of the residual standard errors, and the population tolerance limits about predicted values, and by applying selected models to a set of data not included in the study. The results indicated that the precision likely to be achieved in the prediction of intake for individual cows was of limited practical application, but the mean intakes of groups of 30 similar cows could be predicted with an acceptable level of accuracy for practical application. In general, weight of concentrates offered and the digestibility of the roughage were the most effective independent variables in all cows, together with milk yield in lactating cows. The application of the results to conventional feeding systems and to complete diets offered ad libitum is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , May 1970 , pp. 195 - 212
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Acton, F. S. 1959. Analysis of Straight-line Data. (Ch. 2, pp. 49–50.) Chapman and Hall, London.Google Scholar
Agricultural Research Council. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2. Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Balch, C. C. and Campling, R. C. 1962. Regulation of voluntary intake in ruminants. Nutr. Abstr. Rev. 32: 669–686.Google ScholarPubMed
Blaxter, K. L. 1950–1951. Energy feeding standards for dairy cattle. Nutr. Abstr. Rev. 20: 1–21.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Wainman, F. W. and Wilson, R. S. 1961. The regulation of food intake by sheep. Anim. Prod. 3: 51–61.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Wilson, R. S. 1962. The voluntary intake of roughages by steers. Anim. Prod. 4: 351–358.Google Scholar
Box, G. E. P. 1966. Use and abuse of regression. Technometrics, 8: 625–629.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campling, R. C. 1966. A preliminary study of the effect of pregnancy and of lactation on the voluntary intake of food by cows. Br. J. Nutr. 20: 25–39.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campling, R. C. and Murdoch, J. C. 1966. The effect of concentrates on the voluntary intake of roughages by cows. J. Dairy Res. 33: 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Connell, J. 1965. The effect of roughage quality on concentrate substitution and on the voluntary food intake of the ruminant. M.Sc. Thesis, University of London.Google Scholar
Conrad, H. R. 1966. Symposium on factors influencing the voluntary intake of herbage of ruminants. Physiological and physical factors limiting feed intake. J. Anim. Sci. 25: 227–235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Conrad, H. R., Pratt, A. D. and Hibbs, J. W. 1964. Regulation of feed intake of dairy cows. 1. Change in importance of physical and physiological factors with increasing digestibility. J. Dairy Sci. 47: 54–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curran, M. K. 1968. Studies on appetite and production in ruminants. Ph.D. Thesis, University of London.Google Scholar
Curran, M. K., Connell, J. and Holmes, W. 1966. The development of efficient self-feeding diets for dairy cows. Anim. Prod. 8: 352 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Davenport, D. G. 1964. Estimation of forage consumption by dairy cows from measurements of bodyweight change, bodyweight, milk production, and concentrate consumption. Ph.D. Thesis, Cornell University.Google Scholar
Evans, R. E. 1960. Rations for livestock. Bull. Minist. Agric. Fish. Fd, Lond., No. 48.Google Scholar
Heady, E. O., Jacobson, N. L., Madden, J. P. and Freeman, A. E. 1964. Milk production functions in relation to feed inputs, cow characteristics and environmental conditions. Res. Bull. Iowa State Univ., No. 529.Google Scholar
Holmes, W. and Jones, J. G. W. 1965. The feed intake of milk cows. II. The effect of roughage quality during late pregnancy and lactation. Anim. Prod. 7: 39–51.Google Scholar
Holmes, W., Jones, J. G. W., Drake-Brockman, R. M. and White, N. 1965. The feed intake of milk cows. I. The feed intake of cows receiving high and low concentrate winter rations in pregnancy and lactation and the influence of change to pasture. Anim. Prod. 7: 27–37.Google Scholar
Johnson, W. L., Trimberger, G. W., Wright, M. J., Van Vleck, L. D. and Henderson, C. R. 1966. Voluntary intake of forage by Holstein cows as influenced by lactation, gestation, bodyweight and frequency of feeding. J. Dairy Sci. 49: 856–864.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langlands, J. P., Corbett, J. L., McDonald, I. and Pullar, J. D. 1963. Estimates of the energy required for maintenance by adult sheep. Anim. Prod. 5: 1–9.Google Scholar
Mather, R. E., Breidenstein, C. P., Poulton, B. R. and Bonnington, G. H. Jr 1960. High levels of grass silage for milk production with no grain, medium and high grain feeding. I. Intake, milk production and bodyweight changes. J. Dairy Sci. 43: 358–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murdoch, J. C. 1967. Factors affecting the voluntary intake of silage and hay. J. Br. Grassld Soc. 22: 95–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trimberger, G. W., Gray, H. G., Johnson, W. L., Wright, M. J., Van Vleck, L. D. and Henderson, C. R. 1963. Forage appetite in dairy cattle. Proc. Cornell Nutr. Conf. Feed Mfrs pp. 33–43.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J. 1965. Symposium on factors influencing the voluntary intake of herbage by ruminants: Voluntary intake in relation to chemical composition and digestibility. J. Anim. Sci. 24: 834–843.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, L. R. 1956. Intake and utilisation of pasture by grazing dairy cattle. Proc. VII int. Grassld Congr., New Zealand, pp. 196–204.Google Scholar