In pasture-based dairy systems, supplementary feeds are used to increase dry matter intake and milk production. Historically, supplementation involved the provision of the same amount of feed (usually a grain-based concentrate feed) to each cow in the herd during milking (i.e., flat-rate feeding). The increasing availability of computerized feeding and milk monitoring technology in milking parlors, however, has led to increased interest in the potential benefits of feeding individual cows (i.e., individualized or differential feeding) different amounts and types of supplements according to one or more parameters (e.g., breeding value for milk yield, current milk yield, days in milk, body condition score, reproduction status, parity). In this review, we consider the likely benefits of individualized supplementary feeding strategies for pasture-based dairy cows fed supplements in the bail during milking. A unique feature of our review compared with earlier publications is the focus on individualized feeding strategies under practical grazing management. Previous reviews focused primarily on research undertaken in situations where cows were offered ad libitum forage, whereas we consider the likely benefits of individualized supplementary feeding strategies under rotational grazing management, wherein pasture is often restricted to all or part of a herd. The review provides compelling evidence that between-cow differences in response to concentrate supplements support the concept of individualized supplementary feeding.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	grazing, substitution, milk response, feed conversion efficiency
Research Division:	Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Research Group:	Animal production
Research Field:	Animal nutrition
Objective Division:	Animal Production and Animal Primary Products
Objective Group:	Livestock raising
Objective Field:	Dairy cattle
UTAS Author:	Hills, JL (Dr James Hills)
ID Code:	97847
Year Published:	2015
Web of Science® Times Cited:	78
Deposited By:	Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture
Deposited On:	2015-01-16
Last Modified:	2018-03-29
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