University of Guilan Animal Production Research 2252-0872 6 1 2017 06 27 Effects of feeding frequency and adding oil to diet on performance, sorting behavior and rumen fermentation of Holstein dairy cows Effects of feeding frequency and adding oil to diet on performance, sorting behavior and rumen fermentation of Holstein dairy cows 109 125 2224 10.22124/ar.2017.2224 FA K. Akbari Pabandi M.Sc. student, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran H. R. Mirzaei Alamouti Assistant professor, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran Journal Article 2016 07 11 The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of feeding frequency and oil supplementation to the diet on sorting behavior and rumen fermentation of lactating dairy cows. Twenty four lactating Holstein cows, including 12 primiparous with average body weight of 626 ± 58 Kg and days in mild of 195 ± 44 day, and 12 multiparous having average body weight of 617 ± 25 Kg and days in milk of 207 ± 39 day, were used in a 2×2 factorial experiment under a randomized complete block design. The factors were oil supplement at two levels of 0 and 25 percent, and feeding frequency of 1 or 3 times per day. Treatments had no significant effect on dry matter intake and fat and energy corrected milk, but uncorrected milk production was lower for three times feeding without oil supplement (<em>P</em> < 0.05), compared to other treatments. There was no difference between treatments in respect to sorting behavior (<em>P</em> > 0.05). The primiparous cows showed more sorting behaviors than multiparous cows (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Oil supplementation with once per day feeding reduced fluctuation rumen pH especially (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Rumen propionate concentration was higher than other treatments with once per day feeding (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Oil supplementation reduced slug feeding in particular with once per day feeding (<em>P</em>< 0.05). The results showed that oil supplementation with once per day feeding improved milk yield, feeding behaviors and ruminal pH.   The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of feeding frequency and oil supplementation to the diet on sorting behavior and rumen fermentation of lactating dairy cows. Twenty four lactating Holstein cows, including 12 primiparous with average body weight of 626 ± 58 Kg and days in mild of 195 ± 44 day, and 12 multiparous having average body weight of 617 ± 25 Kg and days in milk of 207 ± 39 day, were used in a 2×2 factorial experiment under a randomized complete block design. The factors were oil supplement at two levels of 0 and 25 percent, and feeding frequency of 1 or 3 times per day. Treatments had no significant effect on dry matter intake and fat and energy corrected milk, but uncorrected milk production was lower for three times feeding without oil supplement (<em>P</em> < 0.05), compared to other treatments. There was no difference between treatments in respect to sorting behavior (<em>P</em> > 0.05). The primiparous cows showed more sorting behaviors than multiparous cows (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Oil supplementation with once per day feeding reduced fluctuation rumen pH especially (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Rumen propionate concentration was higher than other treatments with once per day feeding (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Oil supplementation reduced slug feeding in particular with once per day feeding (<em>P</em>< 0.05). The results showed that oil supplementation with once per day feeding improved milk yield, feeding behaviors and ruminal pH.   https://ar.guilan.ac.ir/article_2224_ffc6b17d422ed2b38fa2e8a5c724c240.pdf