Understanding cattle feeding
Developing individualized “precision” feeding strategies for food-producing animals requires knowing individual nutrient requirements, how the animals consume their feed, and how adaptable that consumption behaviour is. Research by Canada Research Chair in Dairy Cattle Behaviour and Welfare, Dr Trevor DeVries, and his team will provide new biological insights into factors that influence how and when dairy cows eat, how they choose their feed, and how that choice depends on their metabolic state.
Better understanding cows’ feeding patterns will contribute to healthier cows and dairy products and will also help satisfy consumers’ interest in buying foods from animals raised humanely while increasing production efficiency.