Updating predictions of dry matter intake of lactating dairy cows

Abstract

Our objective was to model dry matter intake (DMI) by Holstein dairy cows based on milk energy (MilkE), body weight (BW), change in BW (ΔBW), body condition score (BCS), height, days in milk (DIM), and parity (primiparous and multiparous). Our database included 31,631 weekly observations on 2,791 cows enrolled in 52 studies from 8 states of the United States, mostly in the Upper Midwest. The means ± standard deviations of these variables were 24 ± 5 kg of DMI, 30 ± 6 Mcal of MilkE/d, 624 ± 83 kg of BW, 0.24 ± 1.50 kg of ΔBW/d, 3.0 ± 0.5 BCS, 149 ± 6 cm height, and 102 ± 45 DIM. Data analysis was performed using a mixed-effects model containing location, study within location, diet within study, and location and cow within study as random effects, whereas the fixed effects included the linear effects of the covariates described previously and all possible 2-way interactions between parity and the other covariates. A nonlinear (NLIN) mixed model analysis was developed using a 2-step approach for computational tractability. In the first step, we used a linear (LIN) model component of the NLIN model to predict DMI using only data from mid-lactation dairy cows (76-175 DIM) without including information on DIM. In the second step, a nonlinear adjustment for DIM using all data from 0 to 368 DIM was estimated. Additionally, this NLIN model was compared with an LIN model containing a fourth-order polynomial for DIM using data throughout the entire lactation (0-368 DIM) to assess the utility of an NLIN model for the prediction of DMI. In summary, a total of 8 candidate models were evaluated as follows: 4 ways to express energy required for maintenance (BW, BW0.75, BW adjusted for a BCS of 3, and BW0.75 adjusted for a BCS of 3) × 2 modeling strategies (LIN vs. NLIN). The candidate models were compared using a 5-fold across-studies cross-validation approach repeated 20 times with the best-fitting model chosen as the proposed model. The metrics used for evaluation were the mean bias, slope bias, concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), and root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP). The proposed prediction equation was DMI (kg/d) = [(3.7 + parity × 5.7) + 0.305 × MilkE (Mcal/d) + 0.022 × BW (kg) + (-0.689 + parity × -1.87) × BCS] × [1 - (0.212 + parity × 0.136) × exp(-0.053 × DIM)] (mean bias = 0.021 kg, slope bias = 0.059, CCC = 0.72, and RMSEP = 2.89 kg), where parity is equal to 1 if the animal is multiparous and 0 otherwise. Finally, the proposed model was compared against the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle (2001) prediction equation for DMI using an independent data set of 9,050 weekly observations on 1,804 Holstein cows. The proposed model had smaller mean bias and RMSEP and higher CCC than the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle equation to predict DMI and has potential to improve diet formulation for lactating dairy cows.