Effect of silage chop length on feed intake and feeding behaviour of finishing feedlot steers

摘要

This study determined the effects of silage chop length (20 mm; long or 10 mm; short) and diurnal time on feeding behaviour of 80 feedlots steers. Feed intake and feeding behaviour of each steer in each pen were measured continuously from 0: 00 to 12: 00 h (AM) and from 12: 00 to 24: 00 h (PM). Chop length had no effect on feed intake or the growth performance of steers, but longer chop length increased the duration of feeding and reduced the rate of intake. Head down time and head down time per feeding activities were greater during the PM than AM. There was a chop length x diurnal time interaction for feeding frequency with the number of bunk visits being greater in the PM than AM for both diets. Feeding activities were 50% higher during the PM than AM when steers were fed either long-or short-chopped silage diets twice daily.