LAUSR

ABSTRACT The degree of day-to-day fluctuation in voluntary DMI may influence feeding and rumination behavior, with potential impacts on feedlot performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of voluntary fluctuation of DMI by pens of cattle given free-choice access to feed. These responses were measured in a dataset compiled from ten feedlot studies from 2006 to 2015. The data set included a total of 956 16-mo-old Bos indicus bulls (343.60 ± 44.15 kg) randomly allocated to a total of 238 pens (4 bulls per pen); cattle were fed high concentrate feedlot diets for an average of 106-d (minimum: 84-d; maximum: 140-d), and slaughtered at a commercial abattoir. To balance statistically for differences in animal background, type, and condition, for each year within treatments, pens were allocated into one of two groups: below or above the mean DMI fluctuation. The low- and the high- DMI fluctuation groups had day-to-day fluctuation in DMI of 5.18% and 6.22%, respectively (P