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The prediction of the voluntary feed intake of dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. Vadiveloo  and
W. Holmes
J. Vadiveloo
Affiliation:
Wye College, University of London, Ashford, Kent
W. Holmes
Affiliation:
Wye College, University of London, Ashford, Kent
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Summary

Information on the total dry-matter intake (TDMI), concentrates supplied (C), live weight (LW), week of lactation (WL), milk yield (MY) and composition, quality of forage fed to, and parities of, 385 cows from five different sources were assembled to develop appetite prediction equations. The equations were based on multiple regression and least squares constants and were calculated using the data from each source and the data pooled from all sources. The major factors affecting total dry-matter intake (TDMI) were C, LW, WL and MY and for the pooled data these factors explained 73–76% (R2) of the total variation in TDMI. The predictive values of some of the equations were tested against independent sets of data and for groups of cows and individual cows, the equations predicted TDMI within ±1·1 and 1·6 kg, respectively. The application of the equations in the field is discussed and some suggestions made for increasing the R2 of future appetite equations.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 93 , Issue 3 , December 1979 , pp. 553 - 562
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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