FACTORS AFFECTING

VOLUNTARY INTAKE

Dr. Zahid iqbal SI(M)

 DRY NATTER INTAKE
 DMI determines amount of nutrients available to animal for:
 Health
 Production
 Actual or estimated DMI is important for formulation to avoid:-
 Under feeding-
 Affects health

 Restricts production

 Over Feeding-
 Increase feed cost-

 Toxic

 Environment hazards
Factors affecting intake
 Digestibility
 Lower the digestibility-lesser the intake.
 Passage rate
 Stretch and touch receptors in the wall of stomach
 NDF associated with fill effect
 Metabolic Feedback theory-Negative feedback
impacts DMI
 Absorption of nutrients Protein + energy
 Either exceeds req
 In-correct ratio
Factors affecting intake
 Oxygen consumption theory
 Animal consumes feed to optimize yield of net

energy per unit of oxygen consumed

 Psychological and sensory ability of animals
 Energy intake theory

 cows appear to consume feed to meet energy

needs,so intake is driven by milk production
 milk production (energy expenditure)usually
peaks 4 to 8 weeks postpartum, and peak
DMI (energy intake) lags until 10 to 14 weeks
postpartum
Factors affecting intake –Prediction of DMI

 DMI (kg) =NEL required (Mcal)/NEL concentration

of diet (Mcal/kg)
 DMI (kg/d) lactating cow

= (0.372 x FCM+ 0.0968 x BW0.75) x (1-e(0.192x(WOL3.67) )

Wol-week of lactation
 DMI (kg/d) in growing heifers= (BW0.75 X (0.2435 X
NEm- 0.0466 X NEm2 - 0.1128))/NEm
Factors affecting intake

 Environmental conditions
Thermo neutral zone
5-20 °C
Factors affecting intake- Feeding management

 Moisture
 Negative relationship between DMI and diet high in
moisture
 0.02% reduction in DMI with 1% increase in moistuue
of diet having 60% moisture
 DMI not affected by soaking grain to achieves DM of
35-60%
Factors affecting intake- Feeding management

 NDF
At high NDF concentrations in diets, rumen fill
limits DMI
 at low NDF concentrations energy intake
feedback inhibitors limit DMI
 Decline in DMI noted with increasing NDF
concentrations in diets when diets
exceeded 25 percent NDF.
Factors affecting intake- Feeding management

 Forage to Concentrate Ratio

 The DMI increased linearly with increasing
concentrate in diets regardless of forage type
 Increasing concentrate up to about 60
percent of the DM increased DMI
Factors affecting intake- Feeding management
 FAT
 less DM is consumed when fat replaces
carbohydrates as an energy source
 Fats may also decrease ruminal fermentation
and digestibility of fiber
 fats may contribute to decreased DMI through
actions on gut hormones, oxidation of fat in the
liver and the general acceptability of fat sources
by cattle
 Additions of tallow, grease, and calcium salts of
palm fatty acids to diets resulted in a general
negative linear decrease in DMI
Factors affecting intake- Feeding management
 Effect of stimulating production
 Increased capacity to produce stimulates feed
intake
 Hormone implants increase feed intake in
growing and finishing cattle
 Growth hormone in Dairy cow - increases feed
intake and milk production