Space allowance and barriers influence cow competition for mixed rations fed on a feed-pad between bouts of grazing

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate how feeding space allowance and provision of feed barriers interact to affect feeding and social behavior of dairy cows fed a partial mixed ration on a feed-pad. The treatments were factorial with 3 feeding space allowances (0.6, 0.75, or 1.0. m of trough space per cow) and feed troughs that were either open or had head barriers that physically separated adjacent cows to reduce interactions during feeding. One hundred and forty-four Holstein-Friesian cows in mid lactation were allocated into 12 groups of 12 cows, with 1 of 6 treatments (3. ×. 2) randomly assigned to 2 groups out of 12. Treatments were changed weekly over 3 wk according to a ro..