Transition to the loose farming technology with highly mechanized and automated performing of the processes and operations to ensure the animals comfortable living conditions makes the strategic direction of dairy farming development in Ukraine.

The paper aimed to study the feed behavior of dairy cows of Ukrainian black-and-white dairy cattle of different fatness conditions under robotic milking technology. The results of the analysis of the herd research showed that there were cows from 1st to 6th lactations. The largest share was in the cows of first and second lactations – 43.45 % and 37.7 % respectively. The proportion of cows of the third lactation and older was much lower and amounted to: 3rd lactation – 7.35%, 4th – 8.95 %, 5th – 2.23 % and 6th – 0.32 %. The average daily yield per cow in the herd was 27 kg with deviations range from 5.02 to 48.46 kg, the average frequency of milking per day was 2.9 times with the range of fluctuations of 1.86–4.49. The average interval between two successive milking was 8.3 hours and it ranged from 5.2 to 12.7 hours. The cows differed in performance and lactation in their technological groups. Thus, the first group comprised cows of the 252th day (83–386 days) lactation on average. Their average yield was 29.79 kg, and milking frequency made 2.98 times per day. The second technology group comprised cows of the 262th lactation day (8–460) on average with the daily yield of 20.4 kg under the lowest milking frequency rate of 2.77 times. In the third technological group of cows the average milking day was the 173th (112–225), the daily yield made 28.73 kg with the milking frequency of 3.24 times. The fourth group comprised cows, most of which was in the initial stages of lactation – an average of 93 days after calving varying from 17 to 179 days; their average yield was 30.53 kg per cow, with 2.9-times a day milking.

Ethological studies have shown that cows spent, on average, 53.04 % of a day time on rest, 17.55 % – on eating forage mixture, 2.12 % – on milking under voluntary milking.

Feeding activity peak (eating feed) was observed in the morning (8pm) and in afternoon (5pm). This is due to the fact that most of the cows (over 90 %) rest in the supine position from 1–2am till o 4–5am, after which they need to be fed, watered and milked. Forage mixture is distributed in the morning so that the animals could have free access to plenty of the food.

In all groups, the animals spend over 50 % of a day on rest which corresponds to a daily cycle. As for the figures for food consumption, it is only in the group of cows with fatness condition of 4 points and more the feed intake indicators were lower (by 17 min), in the other groups this figure complied with the norm.

Studying lactating cows fodder behavior showed that cows with medium fatness spent the most of the time on eating – 275.1 minutes, or 19.1 % of daily time, which was 35.3 and 51.9 minutes, or 3.6 and 2.45 % more than in cows with lower and higher average fatness condition. The highest daily yield was in the group with medium fatness – 31.61 kg, which was by 2.33 times and 4.56 kg more than in the cows with lower and higher average fatness.

The research results indicate that maximum activity in animals feed consumption in these farms was observed after each feed distribution, with the peak of feed eating also observed at these times of the day.

Having analyzed the daily feeding behavior of cows we saw that in the group with 3–4 scores fatness the peaks of eating feed activity were observed at 8am, 2am, 5am and 00.00. The cows approached the table and ate food, on average per day
8.5 times (maximum 11, minimum 7). In the groups of cows with lower and higher fatness the peaks of feed activity were observed at 8.00am and 5pm, and 8am and 4pm respectively, whereby the average number of food intakes in the group with fatness condition below the medium is 8.6 times (maximum 11, minimum 6), and in the group with fatness condition of 4 or more points it was 9.1 times (maximum 12 minimum 7).

Feed activity peak in cows under voluntary system is observed after forage mixture distribution in the morning and in the afternoon. Cows with medium fatness condition and the highest daily milk yield had the highest feed activity. The dependence of the nutritional status of cows and productivity of feeding activity was defined. Further research prospects demand examining and justification of the method of forming herds of cows eligible to the conditions of robotic milking technology.

Key words: feed behavior, fatness, performance, boxed farming, voluntary milking, milking robot, feed station, forage mixture.