Effects of Frequency of Feeding on Production Characteristics and Feed Utilization in Lactating Dairy Cows

Abstract

In studies with 21 lactating Guernsey cows, the effect of increased frequency of feeding on various production characteristics was reflected in trends of increasing pounds of milk production, pounds of 4% FCM, pounds and per cent of milk fat, pounds of solids-not-fat, and pounds of total solids daily per cow. Feeding interval had no effect on body weights. Increased frequency of feeding resulted in more total feed intake and a decreasing amplitude in the daily fecal chromium oxide excretion curve. When fed two, four, or seven times daily, the digestibility of dry matter was 51.59, 55.52, and 55.10%, respectively.