Influence of industry standard feeding frequencies on behavioral patterns and rumen and fecal bacterial communities in Holstein and Jersey cows.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of feeding frequency on behavioral patterns and on diurnal fermentation and bacteriome profiles of the rumen and feces in Holstein and Jersey cows. Ten Holstein and 10 Jersey cows were offered a TMR (53:47 forage-to-concentrate ratio dry matter basis) for ad libitum consumption and were randomly allocated within breed to one of the following feeding frequencies: (1) TMR delivered 1×/d (at 0600 h) or (2) TMR delivered 2×/d (at 0600 and 1800 h). The experiment lasted for 28 d with the first 14 d for cow adaptation to the Calan gates and the next 14 d for data collection. On d 23 and 24, an observer manually recorded the time budget (time spent lying, eating, drinking, standing, and milking), rumination activity, and number of visits to the feeding gat

SUBMITTER: De La Guardia-Hidrogo VM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7935240 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature