Effect of Particle Size of Forage and Rumen Cannulation upon Chewing Activity and Laterality in Dairy Cows

Grant, Rick; Colenbrander, V.F.; Albright, J.L.

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(90)79005-4

Cited by 49 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Most rumination occurs at night when cows are at rest, but cattle also ruminate throughout the day when not interrupted by management such as feeding and milking (Grant et al, 1990;Dado and Allen, 1994;Paudyal et al, 2016). Schirmann et al (2012) reported that rumination time peaked approximately 4 h after feeding and that periods of rumination were also associated with time spent lying down.…”

Section: Factors Affecting Ruminating Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Invited review: Current perspectives on eating and rumination activity in dairy cows

Beauchemin

2018

Journal of Dairy Science

278

221

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Many early studies laid the foundation for our understanding of the mechanics of chewing, the physiological role of chewing for the cow, and how chewing behavior is affected by dietary characteristics. However, the dairy cow has changed significantly over the past decades, as have the types of diets fed and the production systems used. The plethora of literature published in recent years provides new insights on eating and ruminating activity of dairy cows. Lactating dairy cows spend about 4.5 h/d eating (range: 2.4-8.5 h/d) and 7 h/d ruminating (range: 2.5-10.5 h/d), with a maximum total chewing time of 16 h/d. Chewing time is affected by many factors, most importantly whether access to feed is restricted, intake of neutral detergent fiber from forages, and mean particle size of the diet. Feed restriction and long particles (≥19 mm) have a greater effect on eating time, whereas intake of forage neutral detergent fiber and medium particles (4-19 mm) affects rumination time. It is well entrenched in the literature that promoting chewing increases salivary secretion of dairy cows, which helps reduce the risk of acidosis. However, the net effect of a change in chewing time on rumen buffing is likely rather small; therefore, acidosis prevention strategies need to be broad. Damage to plant tissues during mastication creates sites that provide access to fungi, adhesion of bacteria, and formation of biofilms that progressively degrade carbohydrates. Rumination and eating are the main ways in which feed is reduced in particle size. Contractions of the rumen increase during eating and ruminating activity and help move small particles to the escapable pool and into the omasum. Use of recently developed low-cost sensors that monitor chewing activity of dairy cows in commercial facilities can provide information that is helpful in management decisions, especially when combined with other criteria. Although accuracy and precision can be somewhat variable depending on sensor and conditions of use, relative changes in cow behavior, such as a marked decrease in rumination time of a cow or sustained low rumination time compared with a contemporary group of cows, can be used to help detect estrus, parturition, and some illnesses. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the dietary, animal, and management factors that affect eating and ruminating behavior in dairy cows and presents an overview of the physiological importance of chewing with emphasis on recent developments and practical implications for feeding and managing the modern housed dairy cow.

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Section: Factors Affecting Ruminating Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Invited review: Current perspectives on eating and rumination activity in dairy cows

Beauchemin

2018

Journal of Dairy Science

278

221

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“…Several characteristics of forage affect the intake of ruminants, particularly the content of vegetable fiber such as cellulose and lignin [11]–[13]. Cellulose is accessible to enzymes that normally digest carbohydrates, whereas lignin has high chemical-degradation resistance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-Age Related Rumination Behavior of Père David’s Deer under Constraints of Feeding Habitat and Rainfall

2013

PLoS ONE

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Extensive studies have been conducted on the rumination behavior of domestic herbivores. However, studies on wild animals are limited, particularly wild animals with specific ruminating parameters. In this study, Père David’s deer, a previously extirpated species, was observed to analyze the effects of sex-age, feeding habitat, and rainfall on rumination behavior in the Dafeng Nature Reserve, China. Rumination behavior was investigated based on four parameters: proportion of bedding time spent chewing, bolus processing time (s/bolus), chewing frequency (chews/bolus), and chewing rate (chews/s). Results showed that all three factors affect rumination behavior. The extent of their effects varied based on the four rumination parameters. Chewing rate and frequency decreased based on sex–age levels, i.e., from fawns to juvenile female, juvenile male, adult female, stag, and harem holder. Therefore, body size played a major role in shaping rumination behavior. Deer found in grasslands could chew faster compared with deer found in woodlands. This result might be caused by the effects of dietary composition and sunlight intensity. A deer spends a longer time ruminating while bedding during rainy days compared with rainless days to maximize energy and nutrition intake and compensate for the loss of feeding time during rainy days. Therefore, rumination behavior is plastic and is shaped by intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

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“…Grant et al, 1990a and1990b;Beauchemin and Yang, 2005), most of the studies used single forages in the diet, mainly silages with a relatively low dietary fiber content (23% to 32% NDF on dry matter (DM) basis). In a meta-analysis, Tafaj et al (2007) concluded that digestive effects of PS should be -E-mail: smnasrolahi@gmail.com considered in relation with particularly forage NDF in the diet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grain source and marginal changes in forage particle size modulate digestive processes and nutrient intake of dairy cows

Nasrollahi

Khorvash

Ghorbani

et al. 2012

Animal

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This study investigated the effects of, and interactions between, dietary grain source and marginal changes in alfalfa hay (AH) particle size (PS) on digestive processes of dairy cows. A total of eight Holstein dairy cows (175 days in milk) were allocated in a replicated 4 3 4 Latin square design with four 21-day periods. The experiment was a 2 3 2 factorial arrangement with two levels of theoretical PS of AH (fine 5 15 mm or long 5 30 mm) each combined with two different sources of cereal grains (barley grain alone or barley plus corn grain in a 50 : 50 ratio). Results showed that cows consuming diets supplemented with corn had greater dry matter and nutrient intakes (P , 0.01), independent of forage PS. In addition, the apparent digestibility of fiber fractions was greater for diets supplemented with corn (P 5 0.01). The feeding of barley grain-based diets was associated with greater apparent digestibility of non-fiber carbohydrates, and this variable was even greater when long AH was fed (P 5 0.04). Moreover, the feeding of long AH resulted in longer time spent eating (P 5 0.03) and higher pH (P , 0.01), as well as a tendency for higher acetate-to-propionate ratio in the rumen fluid (P 5 0.06) at 3 h post feeding. In conclusion, the results indicated that the marginal increase of PS of AH may prolong eating time and improve rumen fermentation, particularly in diets based on barley grain. Partial substitution of barley grain by corn can improve feed intake and fiber digestibility in mid-lactation dairy cows.Keywords: physically effective NDF, hay particle size, barley, corn ImplicationsThis study tested the hypothesis that grain fermentability and particle size (PS) of alfalfa hay have the potential to modify rumen conditions, digestion and performance of mid-lactation dairy cows. Indeed, the results showed an improved rumen environment and nutrient digestibility in cows fed a diet containing corn grain and long forage PS, respectively.

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Effect of Particle Size of Forage and Rumen Cannulation upon Chewing Activity and Laterality in Dairy Cows

Cited by 49 publications

References 13 publications

Invited review: Current perspectives on eating and rumination activity in dairy cows

Invited review: Current perspectives on eating and rumination activity in dairy cows

Sex-Age Related Rumination Behavior of Père David’s Deer under Constraints of Feeding Habitat and Rainfall

Grain source and marginal changes in forage particle size modulate digestive processes and nutrient intake of dairy cows

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