Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T21:45:44.570Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Development of a model of voluntary food intake and energy balance in lactating cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. M. Forbes
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Get access

Summary

Voluntary intake of a range of feeds by cows is predicted on the assumption that the cows will satisfy their energy requirements unless physical limitations intervene. Predicted patterns of intake throughout lactation agree generally with observed changes, including an eventual plateau in body weight due to a predicted physical equilibrium between abdominal fat and gut contents. An attempt to incorporate a depression in milk yield when physical limitations prevented energy requirements being met by food intake was successful only with good quality feeds.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council. 1965. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock. No. 2, Ruminants. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Baile, C. A. and Forbes, J. M. 1974. Control of feed intake and regulation of energy balance in ruminants. Physiol. Rev. 54: 160214.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Balch, C. C. and Campling, R. C. 1965. Rate of passage of digesta through the ruminant digestive tract. In Physiology of Digestion in the Ruminant (ed. Dougherty, R. W.), pp. 108123. Butterworth, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Baumgardt, B. R. 1970. Control of feed intake in the regulation of energy balance. In Physiology of Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant (ed. Phillipson, A. T.), pp. 235253. Oriel Press, Newcastle upon Tyne.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. 1966. The feeding of dairy cows for optimal production. George Scott Robertson Memorial lecture. Queen's University, Belfast.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Wainman, F. W. and Davidson, J. L. 1966. The voluntary intake of food by sheep and cattle in relation to their energy requirements for maintenance. Anim. Prod. 8: 7583.Google Scholar
Conrad, H. R., Pratt, A. D. and Hibbs, J. W. 1964. Regulation of feed intake in dairy cows. 1. Change in importance of physical and physiological factors with increasing digestibility. J. Dairy Sci. 47: 5462.Google Scholar
Fell, B. F., Campbell, R. M., MacKie, W. S. and Weekes, T. E. C. 1972. Changes associated with pregnancy and lactation in some extra-reproductive organs of the ewe. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 79: 397407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flatt, W. P. and Moe, P. W. 1971. Partition of nutrients between lactation and body weight gain in dairy cattle. In Lactation (ed. Falconer, I. R.), pp. 341347. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M. 1977a. Models of the control of food intake and energy balance in ruminants. In Hunger Models: Quantitative Theory of Feeding Control (ed. Booth, D. A.). Academic Press, London. In Press.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M. 1977b. Interrelationships between physical and metabolic control of voluntary food intake in fattening, pregnant and lactating mature sheep: a model. Anim. Prod. 24: 91101.Google Scholar
Karkeek, W. F. 1845. An essay on fat and muscle. Jl. R. agric. Soc. 5: 245266.Google Scholar
Monteiro, L. S. 1972. The control of appetite in lactating cows. Anim. Prod. 14: 263281.Google Scholar
Ronning, M. and Laben, R. C. 1966. Response of lactating cows to free-choice feeding of milled diets containing from 10 to 100% concentrates. Dairy Sci. 49: 10801085.Google Scholar
Tayler, J. C. 1959. A relationship between weight of internal fat, ‘fill’, and the herbage intake of grazing cattle. Nature, Lond. 184: 20212022.Google Scholar
Toates, F. M. and Booth, D. A. 1974. Control of food intake by energy supply. Nature, Lond. 251:710711.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wainman, F. W., Smith, J. S. and Dewey, P. J. S. 1975. The nutritive value for sheep of ruminant diet AA6, a complete cobbed diet containing 30% barley straw. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 84: 109111.Google Scholar
Wood, P. D. P. 1969. Factors affecting the shape of the lactation curve in cattle. Anim. Prod. 11:307316.Google Scholar
Wood, P. D. P. 1976. Algebraic models of the lactation curves for milk, fat and protein production, with estimates of seasonal variation. Anim. Prod. 22: 3540.Google Scholar