The objective of this study was to investigate feeding behavior of dairy cows fed restricted or ad libitum total mixed rations (TMR) with abrupt changes between. Eight multiparous Holstein cows were assigned to a double crossover design, with treatment 1 (T1) corresponding to ad libitum feeding and treatment 2 (T2) to restricted feeding with TMR available for 19 h/d. After 4 wk of adaptation, data were collected for 2 d before (d −2 and −1), on d 0, and for 2 d after (d 1 and 2) the switch of feeding strategy. Rumination time, ruminal pH, and dry matter intake (DMI) were recorded continuously. Statistical analysis was performed with a factorial arrangement of treatments using the MIXED procedure of JMPpro (v13.1.0, 2016, SAS). The change from T1 to T2 decreased DMI dramatically on d 0 (−8 kg; P < 0.01). The DMI of the first meal after feed delivery was higher on d 1 after switching from T1 to T2 (5.11 vs 2.19 kg; P < 0.05). On d 2, animals showed the same feeding pattern. In T2 during feed restriction time (1500 to 2000 h), rumination time and pH increased (+19 min in d 0 vs 1; P < 0.05, and +0.24 pH in d 0 vs 1; P < 0.01). When animals were moved from T1 to T2, the daily rumination pattern changed from 1 peak observed early in the morning (0200 to 0400 h) to a bimodal pattern with a second peak of rumination during the hours of restriction (1500 to 2000 h). Similar changes occurred in the ruminal pH, which shifted its maximum from 0500 to 0600 h to 1800 h during the restriction. When animals were moved from T2 to T1, pH, rumination, and DMI quickly changed to the usual pattern. In conclusion, our results confirm that an abrupt change in availability of TMR affects feeding and rumination behavior and ruminal pH pattern; however, cows adapt within 1 d after the change.