Automatic Individual Feeding of Concentrates to Dairy Cattle

Two methods of feeding concentrates according to milk production were compared in a switchback experimental design. Twenty-four cows were assigned to two groups and the groups balanced according to age, milk production, fat-corrected milk production, and body weight. The cows were fed individually their daily allowance of concentrate while in the milking parlor or with an electronic feeder which dispersed concentrates at any hour of the day. All cows received corn silage in a feed bunk. Daily milk production increased .71 kg when cows were fed concentrates electronically. However, there were no significant differences in daily concentrate intake, production of fat-corrected milk, butter-fat percentage, or solids-not-fat percentage for the two treatments.