Ingestive behavior of dairy goats fed diets containing increasing levels of neutral detergent fiber and particle size using multivariate analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of interaction between increasing neutral detergent fiber content and particle sizes on ingestive behavior of dairy goats. Forty-eight lactating, multiparous Saanen and Alpine goats, with average milk production of 1.4 ±0.57 kg d -1 , around 60 th ±12 day of lactation were distributed in a 3 x 4 factorial completely randomized design. The diets consisted: three particles sizes (02, 05 or 15 cm) and four levels of neutral detergent fiber (34, 41, 49 or 57% NDFf) from forage (Tifton 85 hay). The ingestive behavior was monitored during 24 hours. A regression and a multivariate time series cluster analysis were performed. No interaction was found (p > 0.05) between treatments. Feeding time was different according to the particle size, having an increasing linear effect. Rumination and idle times were not affected (p > 0.05). The temporal feeding behavior was clustered into two groups according to the profile of particle size of the diet. Rumination peaks were randomly distributed with more intense activity before morning and afternoon meals. The increase in NDFf content in the diet did not change the ingestive behavior. The multivariate cluster analysis in a time series data is useful to interpret animal feeding behavior.

Effects of Corn Stover Particle Size on Growth Performance, Feeding Behavior and Nutrients Digestibility in Beetal Bucks

“…The other behavioral parameters including total feeding bouts, total lying time and lying bout length as well as duration were similar among the treatment groups. The detected higher feeding and rumination time and level of each feeding bout in the present study is in accordance with that reported in small ruminants (Zhao et al 2009;Schultz et al 2019). These studies reported an increased feeding and rumination time and duration of each feeding bout in the bucks fed large particle size CS based ration.…”

Palm Kernel Cake in Diets for Lactating Goats: Intake, Digestibility, Feeding Behavior, Milk Production, and Nitrogen Metabolism

“…Corn silage has larger particle size compared to concentrate particle size and this effect can change rumination behavior. This theory is confirmed by Schultz et al [ 36 ], who studied NDF levels and different particle sizes in lactating goat diets and reported that increasing particle size causes an increasing linear effect on feeding time, with an increase of 4 min/day per each cm increase in particle size.…”

Replacing corn silage with extruded forage in sheep feeding

“…For the collection times, blood glucose decreased linearly throughout the day (p < 0.05) (Figure 1). This is because, when food is offered, there is a stimulus for having meals (Schultz et al, 2019), thus increasing intake, leading to glucose peaks.…”