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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #412798
Research Project: Improving Dairy Cow Feed Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability Using Genomics and Novel Technologies to Identify Physiological Contributions and Adaptations

Location: Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory

Title: Genetic characterization of daily feeding pattern in lactating Holstein cows and its association with feed efficiency

Author
item CAVANI, LIGIA - University Of Wisconsin
item PARKER GADDIS, KRISTEN - Council On Dairy Cattle Breeding
item Baldwin, Ransom - Randy
item SANTOS, JOSE - University Of Florida
item KOLTES, JAMES - Iowa State University
item TEMPELMAN, ROBERT - Michigan State University
item VANDEHAAR, MICHAEL - Michigan State University
item WHITE, HEATHER - University Of Wisconsin
item PENAGARICANO, FRANCISCO - University Of Wisconsin
item WEIGEL, KENT - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2024
Publication Date: 6/25/2024
Citation: Cavani, L., Parker Gaddis, K.L., Baldwin, R.L., Santos, J.E., Koltes, J.E., Tempelman, R.J., Vandehaar, M.J., White, H.M., Penagaricano, F., Weigel, K. 2024. Genetic characterization of daily feeding pattern in lactating Holstein cows and its association with feed efficiency [abstract]. Journal of Dairy Science. 107(Suppl. 1):39(abstr. 1192).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Feeding behavior traits, such as number, duration, or intake per feeder visit, have been studied and associated with feed efficiency in dairy cattle. Those traits, however, do not fully capture cow’s feeding pattern throughout the day. The goal of this study was to propose a new phenotype for characterizing within-day feeding pattern and estimate its heritability and its genetic correlations with dry matter intake (DMI), secreted milk energy (MilkE), metabolic body weight (mBW), and residual feed intake (RFI). Feeding patterns were evaluated using 4.8 million bunk visits from 1,684 mid-lactation Holstein cows collected from 2009 to 2023 with a Insentec system. Daily bunk visits were ordered, with time zero designated as the time of the first feed delivery. Intake proportions per cow per day were calculated by dividing feed intake per visit by the total intake of the cow for that day. Feeding pattern was characterized by the area under the curve (AUC) of cumulative feed intake proportions for each cow each day. The feeding pattern phenotype per cow was defined as the average AUC across days, whereas consistency of feeding pattern was calculated as the log variance of daily AUC values (log-Var-AUC). Genetic parameters were estimated using an animal model, with lactation, days in milk and cohort as fixed effects and animal as a random effect. Heritability estimates for AUC and log-Var-AUC were 0.35±0.07 and 0.16±0.06, respectively. Genetic correlations between AUC and MilkE, mBW, and RFI were -0.18±0.12, -0.30±0.14, 0.16±0.10, and -0.18±0.14, respectively. Log-Var-AUC was genetically correlated with DMI (0.47±0.15), MilkE (0.40±0.17), mBW (0.28±0.13), and RFI (0.24±0.14). These results suggest that cows that consume most of their total daily intake in the first few hours after feed delivery (larger AUC) tend to be less feed efficient, and cows that have consistent daily feeding patterns tend to be more feed efficient. Overall, feeding pattern is heritable and genetically associated with feed efficiency.