Dr. Trevor DeVries presented this for an educational DAIReXNET video. Find the full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MncxEMC9skY

1. Optimizing Production by Managing
How Dairy Cows Eat
Trevor DeVries
tdevries@uoguelph.ca

2. Dairy cattle nutritional management
 Dietary formulation
 Ration preparation
 Feed bunk management

3. Dairy cattle nutritional management
 Dietary formulation
 Ration preparation
 Feed bunk management
◦ Ensure feed is consumed…
 In the amount required
 In a healthy manner
 As formulated

4. Nielsen . B. L. 1999. Appl. Anim. Beh. Sci. 63:79-91
DMI relies on eating behavior…

5. 0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
DMI(kg/d)
Feeding time (min/d)
More time and meals at the bunk =
greater DMI
 DMI was associated with:
◦ feeding time (+0.02 kg/min) and meal frequency (+0.2
kg/meal)
Data from Johnston and DeVries. 2015. J. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 2 98:450-451.

6. 0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Milkfatcontent(%)
Meal frequency (#/d)
Data from DeVries and Chevaux. 2014. J. Dairy Sci. 97:6499-6510
More meals = greater milk fat %

7. Data from Johnston and DeVries. 2015. J. Dairy Sci. E-Suppl. 2 98:450-451.
More meals = greater milk yield

8. Not only important
how she eats to
achieve her
DMI…but the
composition of the
dry matter
consumed!

9. More sorting at a cow level = lower
milk components
Miller-Cushon and DeVries. 2017. J. Dairy Sci. in press

10. More sorting at a herd level….
 Every 2% refusal of long particles =
◦ -0.9 kg/d 4% fat corrected milk
◦ 2% decrease in production efficiency
Sova et al. 2013. J. Dairy Sci. 96:4759-4770

11. What does this mean from a feeding
management standpoint?

12. What does this mean from a feeding
management standpoint?
 Ensure dairy cows…
◦ Are stimulated to access feed
throughout the day
◦ Have access to the ration formulated
for them throughout the day

13. How do we stimulate cows to access
their feed throughout the day?

14. How do we stimulate cows to access
their feed throughout the day?

15.  Deliver feed more often…
◦ More time at the bunk
◦ Less feed sorting
DeVries et al, 2005; J. Dairy Sci. 88: 3553-3562
How do we stimulate cows to access
their feed throughout the day?

16. More frequent feed delivery = improved
milk fat %
Rottman et al. 2014. Physiological Reports. 2:1-12.

17. Feeding 3x/d improved intake…but did not benefit
feeding patterns!
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
12:00 15:00 18:00 21:00 0:00 3:00 6:00 9:00
DMI(kg)
Time (h)
1x feeding
2x feeding
3x feeding
1x, 2x & 3x feeding
2x & 3x feeding
Hart et al. 2014. J. Dairy Sci. 97:1713-1724.

18. 0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 0:00 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12:00
DMI(kg/h)
Time (h)
Feeding at milking
Feeding between milkings
= milking King et al. 2016. J. Dairy Sci. 99:1471–1482
Providing more stimulation to feed across the day by
staggering milk and feeding = improved efficiency by 7%

19. Innovative ways to stimulate feeding more
often throughout the day are available…

20. Automation also minimizes human
inconsistency in feeding management…
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
DMI(kg/d)
CV NEL across 7 d
Adapted from Sova et al. 2014. J. Dairy Sci. 97:562-571
Every 0.5 point increase =
-1.0 kg/d DMI

21. Need to ensure feed is present when
cows go to the bunk!

22. Need to ensure feed is present when
cows go to the bunk!

23. Ensuring feed is available allows cows to use
their time efficiently!
 41 robotic milked herds
◦ Frequency of feed push ups (average = 8x/d;
range= 2 to 24)
 + 0.1 h/d lying duration per extra 2 push-ups per
day
King et al. 2016. J. Dairy Sci. 99:9069-9079

24. Again…automated systems are making
continuous feed availability
easier!

25. We want to minimize the amount of
time cows are without feed…

26. Cows should be able to access feed
when they want to…

27. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
-14 -12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Non-competitive (1:1)
Competitive (2:1)
Day relative to calving
DMI(Kg/d)
Proudfoot et al. 2009. J. Dairy Sci. 92:3116-3123
Competition reduces DMI during transition,
particularly before calving

28. Overcrowding the bunk may impact
things other than DMI…
 Greater bunk space (per cow):
◦ +0.06% milk fat per 10cm (4 inch) increase
◦ -13% SCC per 10cm (4 inch) increase
Sova et al. 2013. J. Dairy Sci. 96:4759-4770

29.  Management of the feed bunk is as
important as ration nutritional composition
in ensuring cow health, efficiency, and
productivity
Take home messages:

30.  Allow cows to eat when they want and
what they need!
◦ Keep feed in front of cows
◦ Stimulate cows to feed
◦ Allow cows access to their feed
Take home messages:

31. Questions???
Thank you to NSERC, Dairy Farmers of Canada,Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the
Canadian Dairy Commission, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Lallemand Animal Nutrition,Westgen,
the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia, the Canadian Bovine Mastitis
Research Network, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, the University
of Guelph, and the UBC Animal Welfare Program for their financial support.
Trevor DeVries
tdevries@uoguelph.ca