Cows were fed each morning between 04:30 and 07:30 h, while the cows were at morning milking, and again between 11:00 and 12:30 h for ad libitum intake. Each pen received a total of ∼15,500 kg of as mixed TMR/d, split into 2 loads (i.e., one full 8500 kg load of TMR at 1st feeding with a second ∼7000 kg load of TMR at 2nd feeding with the exact amount determined by the feeder)