Peripartum factors associated with variation in voluntary postpartum hay intake in dairy cows

The objective of this research was to assess variation in postpartum hay intake when offered alongside total mixed ration (TMR) as free choice, and identify factors related to the hay intake. Twenty multiparous cows were fed a closeup TMR (21.5% starch, 39.1% neutral detergent fiber [NDF] on a dry matter [DM] basis). After calving, cows were offered free choice timothy hay (61.6% NDF, 9.6% crude protein) in addition to a fresh cow TMR (26.8% starch, 33.0% NDF) for the first 5 d postpartum. Cows were fed individually with separate mangers for TMR and hay, each offered ad libitum. Prepartum DM intake (DMI) was recorded, and baseline blood samples were collected after calving, but before the first postpartum feeding. Free choice hay intake ranged from 0 to 4.7 kg/d (DM basis) or 0 to 55.2% (% of total DMI). Cows that consumed more hay (% of total DMI) from d 1 through 5 postpartum had lower DMI 2 d before calving (r = -0.63), and greater baseline concentrations of plasma β-hydroxybutyrate (r = 0.60) and serum haptoglobin (r = 0.68). Additionally, hay intake (% of total DMI) from d 1 through 5 postpartum tended to be positively related to baseline plasma fatty acid concentration (r = 0.41). These findings suggest that cows with lower intake before calving and cows with greater ketone production and inflammation at calving may consume more hay, when offered separate from TMR.