APPÉTIT DE LA VACHE LAITIÈRE. I. VARIATIONS INDIVIDUELLES DES QUANTITÉS D'ALIMENTS INGÉRÉES

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Abstract
Individual variations in the appetite of milk cows at a given stage of lactation was studied. Information was obtained on 242 lactations of 141 cows in 2 herds, followed by 1 or more lactations between 1956 and 1961 Individual values for dry matter intake, milk production and live weight were obtained from the fifth to the ninth week of lactation. The basal feed was hay and silage given to appetite and restricted amounts of beet. The requirement of each cow was completed by a concentrate mixture adjusted weekly. To estimate the effect of the intrinsic factors, live weight, yield of FCM [forage consumption] and lactation number, the effect of extrinsic factors estimated from differences between herds and between years was used. For the 242 lactations the average intake of dry matter (561 kg live weight and 16.4 kg FCM) was: basal ration, 12.7 kg; and concentrates, 3.0 kg. The relationship between feed intake and live weight was positive but weak. Dry matter intake increased linearly with milk production by 280 gm/kg FCM. This increase was due almost entirely to concentrates. Dry matter intake increased from the first to the second lactation. Between years and herds dry matter intake varied widely, independently of live weight, milk yield and lactation number. This was partly due to type, quality and digestigility of the hay. Dry matter intake and indigestible dry matter were closely related, r = 0.90. When cows were fed a mixed ration of hay, silage, beet and concentrates adjusted to requirements of the cows, dry matter intakes for the basal ration was 12.4, 13.2 and 14.0 kg for cows weighing 500, 600 and 700 kg respectively.

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