Total mixed ration (TMR) is a method of feeding dairy

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

. The purpose of feeding a TMR diet is that each cow can consume the required level of nutrients in each bite. A cow's ration should include good quality forages, a balance of grains and proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Management

The number of groups of animals to be part of a TMR diet depend on existing herd size, the layout of barn, and loafing areas. typically a barn will have high, medium and low production lactating cows, far off and close up dry cows, and pre-breeding and post-breeding heifers. These groups are essential as some (such as first lactation cows) don't do well in overcrowded feed areas. When working with two or three groups it is easier as you can feed the low costing forage to the low group and the high quality forage to the higher group in which can obtain or increase the overall health and performance of cows. For dry cows this system can minimize metabolic and nutritional disorders in calving and post-partpartum period. A pre-breeding and post-breeding system is essential for heifers to ensure proper growth and development. It is important for pre-breeding heifers to have an energy- and protein-dense diet while post-breeding lack the ability to consume high forage diets.

Summary

*Complete rations feature the blended approach; all

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used ...

s, concentrates, protein supplements, minerals and vitamins are mixed and offered as a single feed. *Complete-ration systems can save labour and reduce overall feeding costs. *It is extremely important to keep the mixture exactly the same day after day and to make big changes gradually. *Early detection of problems with the ration system is possible by observing the

bulk tank {{no footnotes, date=June 2013 In dairy farming a bulk milk cooling tank is a large storage tank for cooling and holding milk at a cold temperature until it can be picked up by a milk hauler. The bulk milk cooling tank is an important piece of dai ...

milk level after each milking. * Forage analysis is necessary and should include

dry matter The dry matter or dry weight is a measurement of the mass of something when completely dried. Analysis of food The dry matter of plant and animal material consists of all its constituents excluding water. The dry matter of food includes carboh ...

crude protein Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue and can also serve as a fuel source. As a fuel, proteins provide as much energy density as carbohydrates: 4 kcal (17 kJ) per gram; in cont ...

, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber,

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

and

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...

. *TMR can be used effectively by many dairy farmers, but it is not a substitute for good management. In fact, the intensity of management may be increased. Most of all, management skills and competency of the dairy farmer are critical to make this system work effectively.Using a Total Mixed Ration for Dairy Cows
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References

Intensive farming Cattle Dairy farming {{Agri-stub