181 Characterization of feeding-behavior patterns and application of chemometrics to predict residual feed intake based on feeding-behavior traits in growing Holstein heifers. (29th July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Johnson, Jocelyn R; Parsons, Ira L; Carstens, Gordon E; Tedeschi, Luis Orlindo; Heuer, Claas; Deeb, Nader
• Is Part Of: Journal of animal science. Volume 97(2019)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 61
• Page End: 62
• Publication Date: 2019-07-29
• Subjects: chemometrics -- RFI -- cattle; Livestock -- Periodicals; Livestock; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 636.005
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz053.138
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8812

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives of this study were to characterize feeding-behavior (FB) patterns in growing dairy heifers with divergent RFI phenotypes (±0.50 SD) and to evaluate the accuracy of partial least squares regression (PLSR) models to predict RFI based on FB traits. Performance, DMI, and FB traits were measured for 70 to 100 d in 15 trials with Holstein heifers (n = 611) fed a corn-silage based ration. Seventeen FB traits were evaluated: frequency and duration of bunk visit (BV) and meal events, head-down duration (HDD), meal length, maximum non-feeding interval, corresponding day-to-day variation (SD) of these traits, and ratios of HDD per BV duration and meal duration, HDD per meal duration, and BV events per meal event. Data were analyzed using a mixed model that included RFI group and trial. The PLSR model for RFI was developed using cross-validation procedures (Leave-One-Out) in JMP (SAS), with FB traits as independent variables. Low-RFI heifers consumed 24% less (P < 0.01) DMI and had lower (P < 0.01) day-to-day DMI variation than high-RFI heifers. Distinct differences were observed in FB patterns between low- and high-RFI heifers (Table 1). Eight of 17 FB traits were included [selected based on variable of importance (VIP) score > 0.80] in the PLSR model that explained 33% of the variation in RFI. Head-down duration had the highest VIP score; accordingly, low-RFI animals had 44% lower HDD and 30 and 40% lower ratios of HDD per BV duration and meal duration, respectively. Additionally, low-RFI animals had 20 and 18% fewer BV and meal events per day, spent 21% less time eating during BV events, and had reduced day-to-day variation in HDD and meal frequency. For this study, distinctive differences were observed in the FB patterns of Holstein heifers with divergent RFI, which explained 33% of the between-animal variation in RFI.