Why is Eating Behavior Important for Milk Yield and Components?

The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

Check out this segment from Dr. Trevor DeVries, from the University of Guelph, as he dives into his first segment of a two part series on the impact that eating behavior and feed availability have on milk yield and components. With this knowledge we will then be able think about how nutrition and management influence that behavior to make positive impacts on production.

What you will learn:

Good eating behavior is as important as ration nutritional composition in ensuring high milk yield and components
Intake is maximized and rumen environment is stabilized by consumption of feed in frequent, small meals, that are eaten slowly and ensuring cows eat their feed as it is formulated for them

Watch Now!
Rather read than watch?

Download PDF

What's next?
Keep an eye out for more from Dr. DeVries as he continues his series. His upcoming segment will cover the importance of feed availability for cow performance and milk components.

Dr. Trevor DeVries, University of Guelph

Dr. Trevor DeVries is a Canada Research Chair in Dairy Cattle Behavior and Welfare and an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph. Trevor received his B.Sc. in Agriculture from The University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2001. Immediately following he began graduate studies at UBC, focusing his research on dairy cow feeding behavior. After receiving his Ph.D. in 2006, he worked for one year as a post-doctoral researcher at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, focusing his research on ruminant nutrition. In 2007 he was appointed as faculty with the University of Guelph. In his current position Trevor is involved in research and teaching in the areas of dairy cattle nutrition, management, behavior, and welfare.