Effect of Feeding Method on the Performance of Growing Dairy Animals in Mauritius

Abstract

Providing the ration as a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is now common practice on most commercial dairy farms in the world for nearly all classes of animals. This practice decreases sorting of the individual ration components by dairy cattle. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of two feeding methods on the average daily gain on weaned cattle and lactating cows. 14 weaned cattle were selected and randomly divided in two groups. The experimental design was a switch over. 14 lactating cows in 100±13days of lactation were separated in 2 groups. Treatments were: Normal practice, concentrate before giving chopped fodder and TMR concentrate hand mixed with chopped fodder. First phase lasted for 122 days, there was no significant difference (P>0.5) between the two type of feeding groups. The average ADG for the control was 646±102g/day compared to 609±117 g/day in the treatment. In the second phase, there was no significant difference (P>0.5) between the control and the treatment groups. The average ADG for the control was 486±74g/day compared to 380±90 g/day in the treatment. Milk production was also not affected as was no ignificant difference (P>0.5) between the two feeding methods. The provision of concentrate before providing the fodder as a choice resulted in animals rapidly consuming the concentrate, before consuming the fodder portion of their ration. Providing feed components as a TMR increased the distribution of dry matter intake over the course of the day and reduced the amount of sorting in growing dairy animals. As result, the provision of a TMR to animals promotes a more balanced intake of nutrients across the day.

Keywords: ADG, Feeding Methods, TMR