peer-reviewedThere is little published information on comparisons of individual and group feeding
systems for dairy cows. Twenty-four dairy cows were used in a three-period incompletely
balanced, change-over design study, to examine food intake and feeding behaviour of
dairy cows offered their food via group-access electronic Calan gates, or via a conventional
feed-barrier system. The food offered was in the form of a complete diet, and
comprised grass silage and concentrates (60:40 dry matter (DM) basis). With the conventional
feed-barrier system a maximum of eight animals were able to feed at any one
time, while the Calan-gate system allowed a maximum of three animals to feed at any
one time. Method of offering the ration had no effect on daily DM intake. During the
8-h period after animals were given access to fresh food, the mean number of animals
feeding at any one time was 5.4 and 3.0 for the conventional and Calan-gate systems,
respectively, while total intake over this period was 11.0 and 9.2 kg DM per cow, respectively.
When access to feed was restricted by the use of Calan gates, animals responded
by increasing their intake rate. It is concluded that total DM intake was unaffected by
the use of a group Calan-gate feeding system as animals modified their feeding behaviour
to maintain food intake
