The effects of restricted feed access and social rank on feeding behavior, ruminating and intake for cows managed in automated milking systems

Melin, Martin; Pettersson, G.; Svennersten-Sjaunja, K.; Wiktorsson, H.

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.09.026

Cited by 24 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Our studies are partially agreed with Brazilian researchers who indicate a gradual increase in fat and protein content of Holstein cows at robotic farms (Córdova et al, 2018). The milking multiplicity indicator in the first months of lactation is an important indicator for not only adaptation to new conditions, but also for further productivity of cows (Melin et al, 2007). Among the cows of different origins, the most varied was the milking multiplicity curve of German Holstein breed (Figure 3), which showed gradual increase in the milking multiplicity from 2.27 on the Ukrainian Journal of Ecology, 10(1), 2020…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Adaptation strategy of different cow genotypes to the voluntary milking system

Gutyj¹,

Sobolev²,

Borshch³

et al. 2020

Ukr J Ecol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim was of this study was to discover the adaptation indicators of different breeds first-calving cows to voluntary (robotic) milking system during the first month of lactation. The research was carried out in a robotic farm on German Holstein, French Holstein breeds and Brown Swiss breed of cows. During the adaptation period, the German Holsteins were differed from the rench Holsteins and Brown Swiss breed by milk yield, multiplicity of milking, and the amount of consumed concentrated feed. On the 30th day (end of adaptation period), the German Holstein breed dominated over the French Holstein breed and Brown Swiss having average daily milk yield by 0.73 and 4.12 kg, milking times by 0.26 and 0.34, the amount of consumed concentrated feed by 0.32 and 0.61 kg higher. In addition, the German Holstein breed during the adaptation period was distinguished by higher multiplicity of passages through the selection gate and the number of visits to feed stations. Important indicators of adaptation to free keeping and voluntary milking are the number of cases of forced milking. On the 5th day of lactation, some 69.4–86.2% of cows of all the groups did not enter the milking robot. This indicator has been steadily declining every five days. On the 30th day of lactation the cases of operator-forced milking were 24.3–35.9% and they were the lowest in cows of the German Holstein breed, indicating the best adaptive qualities of this cattle. The German Holstein breed had more lower (by 0.30 and 0.26 mS/cm) electrical milk conductivity on the 30th day compared with French and Brown Swiss breeds. In addition, the number of somatic cells in its milk was lower by 19.4 and 17.1 thousand cells per cm3 compared with French Holstein and Brown Swiss breed. Therefore, we suggested that the German Holstein breed has more higher stress tolerance, and hence a shorter adaptation time to the keeping.

show abstract

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Adaptation strategy of different cow genotypes to the voluntary milking system

Gutyj¹,

Sobolev²,

Borshch³

et al. 2020

Ukr J Ecol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The results of this study, according to Halachmi et al (2004), indicate that replacing a portion of forage with soy hulls and wheat bran did not affect DMI; however, a decrease in particles greater than 8 mm led to a reduction in peNDF consumption (Yang and Beauchemin, 2006). On average, cows fed the E-diet spent approximately 15 minutes less each day eating (8%) than animals fed the control diet and had a lower number of visits to the feeding trough on a daily basis; however the number of meals per day, that are reported to be the biologically relevant unit of short-term feeding behaviour (Melin et al, 2007), resulted to be the same. Differences between dietary treatments in feeding time could be related to the forage concentration, pef value and TMR particle distribution of diets.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Feeding visits were clustered into bouts called meals. A meal was defined by estimating a meal criterion based on visits data (Melin et al, 2007). The meal criterion was considered as the longest non-feeding interval between two consecutive visits which is accepted as part of a meal.…”

Section: Animals Experimental Design and Dietary Intakementioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of non-forage roughage replacement on feeding behaviour and milk production in dairy cows

Marchesini

Segato

Berzaghi

et al. 2011

Italian Journal of Animal Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The objective of this study was to determine whether the partial replacement of roughage from forage with non-forage fiber sources, in a total mixed ration (TMR), could reduce feed sorting by dairy cows without modifying behaviour and milk production. Twelve Holstein cows were fed two TMR maize silage based diets in a cross-over experiment. Compared to the control diet (C-diet), experimental diet (Ediet) was formulated by replacing 8% neutral detergent fibre (NDF) from straw and alfalfa hay with soybean hulls and wheat bran. E-diet had a lower physical effectiveness factor (pef) (0.37 vs 0.34; P<0.001) and physical effective NDF (peNDF) (15.5 vs 14.6%; P<0.01). Feeding and sorting behaviour, ruminal activity, milk yield and composition and blood metabolites were measured. The results indicated that dry matter intake was not affected by diet. Cows fed the experimental TMR spent less time eating (192 vs 178 min/d; P<0.05) but showed the same number of meals per day. C-diet fed cows sorted against peNDF in a greater extent (98.3 vs 100.9%; P<0.05). Treatments did not affect cows time budget of general behaviours, with particular regard to ruminating activity. Despite different forage sources in TMR, no significant differences in milk yield and quality were detected.

show abstract

“…Those researchers concluded that the semi-forced traffic was preferred over forced traffic, although no differences were found in milk production. More recently, Melin et al (2007) reported that forced traffic resulted in negative effects on feed intake and cow welfare compared with free traffic. In addition, forced traffic may result in long waiting lines, which may have a negative effect on cow welfare, especially for animals with a low social rank (Thune, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The studies that directly compare free-vs. forcedtraffic schemes are available only as summaries (Metz-Stefanowska et al, 1992;Harms et al, 2001;Forsberg et al, 2002) except for that of Melin et al (2007). None of the available studies on traffic schemes focus on the economic problem (i.e., labor costs) associated with the need of getting cows to the AMS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced traffic in automatic milking systems effectively reduces the need to get cows, but alters eating behavior and does not improve milk yield of dairy cattle

Bach

Devant

Igleasias

et al. 2009

Journal of Dairy Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Eighty-five lactating Holstein dairy cows in loose housing conditions in 2 symmetrical pens, each containing 28 feeding places, 3 waterers, and 1 automatic milking system (AMS), were used to evaluate the effects of the traffic type imposed on lactating cows through an AMS on milking frequency, feeding behavior, and milk production. The study was a crossover design with 2 periods and 2 treatments. Each period lasted 3 mo, with 1 mo of adaptation within each period. All cows were fed a partial mixed ration twice daily and up to 3 kg/d of a concentrate during the visits to the AMS. Treatments consisted of allowing free traffic of cows throughout the pen or forcing cows to pass through the AMS to access the feed troughs (forced traffic). Individual eating behavior and feed consumption were continuously monitored throughout the study using a computerized system. Individual milk production was recorded at each milking, and milk composition was recorded monthly. In addition, the number of cows brought to the AMS was recorded. The number of daily meals was less, whereas meal duration and meal size were greater with forced traffic (6.6 +/- 0.3 meals/d, 20.4 +/- 0.65 min/meal, and 2.7 +/- 0.09 kg/meal, respectively) than with free traffic (10.1 +/- 0.3 meals/d, 15.7 +/- 0.65 min/meal, and 1.8 +/- 0.09 kg/meal, respectively). Total dry matter intake (21.1 +/- 0.5 and 20.4 +/- 0.58 kg/d, respectively) and milk production (29.8 +/- 0.79 and 30.9 +/- 0.79 kg/d, respectively) were similar in the 2 systems. The number of voluntary and total daily milkings was greater with forced traffic (2.4 +/- 0.04 and 2.5 +/- 0.06 milkings/d, respectively) than with free traffic (1.7 +/- 0.06 and 2.2 +/- 0.04 milkings/d, respectively). Forced traffic improved the number of voluntary milkings, but altered milk quality and eating behavior of dairy cattle.

show abstract

The effects of restricted feed access and social rank on feeding behavior, ruminating and intake for cows managed in automated milking systems

Cited by 24 publications

References 16 publications

Adaptation strategy of different cow genotypes to the voluntary milking system

Adaptation strategy of different cow genotypes to the voluntary milking system

Effect of non-forage roughage replacement on feeding behaviour and milk production in dairy cows

Forced traffic in automatic milking systems effectively reduces the need to get cows, but alters eating behavior and does not improve milk yield of dairy cattle

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About