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

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

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Data from automated feeding systems installed in research stations, utilized for individual feed intake measurements, offer a valuable opportunity to analyze feeding patterns in lactating Holstein cows and assess their relationships with feed efficiency. Here, we propose a new method for characterizing within-day feeding patterns by measuring how cows distribute their total intake throughout the day relative to time of first feed delivery. Our results show that feeding patterns are heritable and cows that consume most of their total daily intake in the first few hours after feed delivery and cows with consistent daily feeding patterns tend to be more feed efficient.

Technical Abstract: Feeding behavior traits, such as number, duration, or intake per feeder visit, have been associated with feed efficiency in dairy cattle. Those traits, however, do not fully capture cows’ feeding patterns throughout the day. The goal of this study was to propose a new phenotype for characterizing within-day feeding patterns and estimate its heritability and 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 an Insentec system. Feed efficiency traits were available from 6,099 lactating Holstein cows at six research stations across the United States. Daily bunk visits were ordered, with time zero designated as the time of first feed delivery. Intake proportions were calculated by visit for each cow 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 throughout the 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). Estimates of heritability and genetic correlations were performed using Bayesian inference with an animal model, considering 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 DMI, 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 cows that consume most of their total daily intake in the first few hours after feed delivery (larger AUC) 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.