Calves with Sam

Drinking Activity of Calves on ad lib Feeding

 

 Interesting facts on standing and drinking.

See below. In this trial the ad lib calves (N=9) drank 54% of their total day's food between 6am and 8am and 44% between 4:00pm and 6:00pm. In an additional trial with ad lib feeding of acidified milk replacer these calves (N=22) had a similar drinking pattern with highly concentrated feeding behaviors. Was this drinking behavior stimulated by worker activity in the barn feeding the control calves? Does anyone know of similar information on drinking behavior of calves fed 24/7 ad lib?

Ad lib group
Time	Minutes	Minutes	Percent time
	Standing	Interval	Standing
600-800	50	120	0.42
800-1200	74	240	0.31
1200-1600	72	240	0.30
1600-1800	36	120	0.30
1800-0600	83	720	0.12
	315	1440	0.22
Control group  fed at 600 and 1600
Time	Minutes	Minutes	Percent time
	Standing	Interval	Standing
600-800	63	120	0.53
800-1200	73	240	0.30
1200-1600	104	240	0.43
1600-1800	26	120	0.22
1800-0600	75	720	0.10
	341	1440	0.24