[Nitrogen balance and nitrogen utilization of non-lactating and lactating cows under various feeding frequency...

A cross-over trial with nine nonlactating nonpregnant cows (experiment I) and a single-reversal trial with eight lactating cows (experiment II) were conducted to study the effect of feeding frequency upon nitrogen balance. The three treatments in experiment I were twice daily forage and concentrate, twice forage and eight times concentrate, and ten times forage and concentrate per day. In experiment II the animals received their forage and concentrate in two equal feedings daily or the forage in two and the concentrate in six meals per day. The diets had a severely restricted crude fiber content of only 16% in the dry matter of the total ration. In experiment I feeding frequency had no effect on fecal or urinary nitrogen excretion, nitrogen retention and nitrogen utilization. In experiment II, the urinary nitrogen excretion was significantly decreased by 9% in response to feeding concentrate six times daily. Fecal and milk nitrogen excretion as well as nitrogen retention and utilization criteria, however, were not significantly different for the two feeding frequencies.