Predicting dry matter intake in beef cattle

Abstract

Technology that facilitates estimations of individual animal dry matter intake rates in group-housed settings will improve production and management efficiencies. Estimating dry matter intake in pasture settings or facilities where feed intake cannot be monitored may benefit from predictive algorithms that use other variables as proxies. This study examined the relationships between dry matter intake (DMI), animal performance, and environmental variables. Here we determined whether a machine learning approach can predict DMI from measured water intake variables, age, sex, full body weight, and average daily gain (ADG). Two hundred and five animals were studied in a drylot setting (152 bulls for 88 days and 53 steers for 50 days). Collected data included daily DMI, water intake, daily predicted full body weights, and average daily gain using In-Pen-Weighing Positions and Feed Intake Nodes. After exclusion of 26 bulls of low-frequency breeds and one severe (greater than 3 standard deviations) outlier, the final number of animals used for modeling were 178 (125 bulls, 53 steers). Climate data were recorded at 30-minute intervals throughout the study period. Random Forest Regression (RFR) and Repeated Measures Random Forest (RMRF) were used as a machine learning approaches to develop a predictive algorithm. Repeated Measures ANOVA (RMANOVA)was used as the traditional approach. Using the RMRF method, an algorithm was constructed that predicts an animal’s DMI within 0.75 kg. Evaluation and refining of algorithms used to predict DMI in drylot by adding more representative data will allow for future extrapolation to controlled small plot grazing and, ultimately, more extensive group field settings.