Feeding Behaviour of Dairy Animals

Introduction

The very word behavior doesn’t comply with humans only, it is with animals too. Animals, as humans do, also have their typical feeding habits. They behave in different manner to different feeds. Ethology is the name given to the science that deals with animal behavior. Better understanding of Ethology helps us to make better and efficient feeding management which is an inevitable part of a farm operation.

Types of ingestive behavior

There are namely three types of ingestive behavior: grazing behavior, feeding behavioranddrinking behavior.

Factors affecting ingestive behavior

Breed difference
Age difference
Climatic conditions

The daily routine of maintenance behavior is determined by the timing of feeding. Intensive condition – feed when food is offered. Free ranging – grazing.

Patterns of feeding behavior

Varies according to physical consistency of ration
Type of food
Availability of food
Foraging and eating behavior of species
Level of food demand by species

Feeds generally available in Northern parts of India

Green fodder includes Berseem, Maize, Sugar graze, Oats, Lucerne, Cowpea, Bajra, Lobia.

Dry fodder includes wheat bhusa, paddy straw.

Concentrate ingredients include Maize grain, Soya bean, Wheat bran, Mineral mixture, salts, etc.

Feeding schedule

Calf

1 to 5 days – colostrum -10% of body weight
5days to 2 months –milk 1/10th of BW + 250 gm of concentrates
3 month –milk 1/20^th of BW +500 gm concentrates /day
4^th month- milk 1/20^th of BW +750 gm of concentrates /day

Green fodder

Palatable, succulent green fodders are highly liked by dairy animals as compared to less succulent ones. They can easily consume up to 8-10% of their body weight.

Time of feeding: Morning and evening hours
Quantity of green fodder consumed –depends on the type of green fodder and species of animal

Jaw movements seen for green fodder in different cattle and buffalo breeds

Tharparkar: 60-65/min
Karan fries: 70-72/min
Sahiwal: 60-63/min
Buffalo: 64-70/min
Calf: 80-85/min
Average jaw movements for green fodder is 60 to 80/min
Young animals spent more time in masticating than adult animals

Dry fodder

Wheat bhusa

Time of feeding: after animal has consumed green fodder
Jaw movements:

Buffalo: 66-70/min

Tharparkar: 62-65/min

Sahiwal: 61-65 /min

Karan fries: 69-72/min

Concentrates

Feeding Behaviour of Dairy Animals - Image 3

Generally, the animals are offered concentrate at the time of milking
Milking schedule – 5 am, 12 pm, and 5 pm
Concentrate is poured into a trough, from which the animals eats by gathering up scoopful with its tongue and suckling it into the mouth
Absence of biting movements, only chewing movements noticed
Time spent on concentrate eating is 15 to 20 minutes (average)

Eating speed

Eating speed of animals depends upon the type of feed given to it
It is fast comparatively in concentrate than in case of fodder
Cows while taking whole green fodder in their mouth chew it for 20-24 times in one grasp and 30-38 times jaw movement/min
While in the case of dry fodder it took 16-23 times in one grasp and 28-34 times jaw movement/ min

Rumination

Feeding Behaviour of Dairy Animals - Image 4

It is the act of regurgitating, re-mastication, re-swallowing previously ingested feed
Large quantities of slightly chewed herbage are consumed and stored in rumen
Boluses of herbage are later regurgitated from rumen then chewed and re-swallowed

Pattern of rumination

Bolus of feed is re-chewed with lateral grinding of jaw movements.

Body position

Lying position in sternal recumbency (majority) and standing position
Animals ruminate after consumption of feed in leisure time either in lying position or in standing
Rumination time: in afternoon hours under the shade and in the late evening hours

Murrah: 44/min

Sahiwal: 51/min

Tharparkar: 59/min

Pause between each phase: 3- 4 seconds
It was seen that in resting position cow’s jaw movement in either side was 40-47 times

Drinking behavior

Feeding Behaviour of Dairy Animals - Image 5

The animals drink after the consumption of fodder in the late afternoon and in the evening hours. Their tongue plays a passive role in drinking, nose is always kept above water surface by animals while drinking water. Fresh, clean water should be made available to them throughout 24 hrs. Amount of water consumed by animals varies with season, species and breed of animals.

Conclusions

Different types of dairy animals have different likeness and feeding behavior towards same feed. Time taken for eating is also different. Green, dry fodders or concentrates are offered to animals at particular interval of day. Drinking time and behavior is an important aspect to be considered. Better understanding of feeding behavior will help in better farm planning, budgeting and executing.