ORIGINAL PAPER
Adaptation of dairy cows to change in a computer-controlled concentrates feeding routine
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Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization,
The Volcani Center,
Bet Dagan, 50250 Israel
Publication date: 2002-01-31
Corresponding author
N. Livshin
Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Organization,
The Volcani Center,
Bet Dagan, 50250 Israel
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2002;11(1):19-37
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Adaptation of cows to a new regime of concentrate allocation via computerised feeders was
studied in an Israeli commercial corral-type dairy (about 50 cows in milk). A new fixed-time routine
with six equal diurnal feeding cycles was introduced, replacing a long-used former routine with four
equal diurnal cycles. The adaptation process was investigated for changes in cows' visit timing and
intensity during 1-5-day intervals for 3 months.
The daily concentrates allowance was consumed from the first day of change. Within a few days,
the cows started to consume newly timed feed portions in the same cycle it became available - with
the exception of night hours. However, adaptation of self-feeders visiting behaviour was a prolonged
multistage process comprising changes in both visits' timing and intensity. Initially there was spontaneous activity rise, reaching a maximum after 5 d. After 3 months, the mean number of visits to
feeders after non-attendance periods from 0.5 to 4 h was 1.5 times greater than under the previous
feeding routine - the rise proportional to the increase in diurnal number of feeding cycles. The increase
in visits frequency alone, does not explain the cows adaptation to new feeding routine. The adaptation
consists of a gradual acquaintance to new timing on one hand and abandoning old visits timing on the
other. Stable visiting patterns, including visits timing and intensity, may be the appropriate criterion
of cows' adaptation to new feeding environment on top of consuming the daily ration.
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