Effects of feed delivery time on milk production and sorting of dairy cows

Abstract

The effects of delivery time (0900 or 2100) of a diet consisting of 45% of dry matter as chopped hay and 55% of dry matter as concentrates on milk production of dairy cows were determined in a 6-wk experiment consisting of 3 wk of adaptation and 3 wk of sampling. Feed delivery time did not affect feed intake and milk production. Average milk fat percentage decreased from 2.14% during week 4 to 1.73% during week 6. The low milk fat could was assumed to be caused by the short dietary particle lengths, and could have prohibited effects of feeding time on milk production. The decrease in milk fat over time might have been due to increased sorting against long and medium length feed particles. This increase in sorting was greater in 0900-fed cows than in 2100-fed cows. Key words: Time of feeding, dairy cows, milk production, sorting