Total Mixed Rations Information - Articles
Total Mixed Rations For Dairy Cattle
Jim Leverich
Dairy and Livestock Agent
Monroe County, Wisconsin
A Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is a ration in which all feedstuffs are blended together to be fed as one feed. A properly managed TMR will ensure that all cows are receiving a balanced diet. TMRs help to prevent many common nutritional and metabolic disorders. A well balanced TMR takes the guess work out of what’s being fed and what’s being eaten. Labor may be reduced with a TMR feeding system because feeding trips around the barn are reduced. TMRs allow feed to be used more efficiently by dairy animals. There are many advantages and few disadvantages to TMRs.
Production and Feeding Benefits of TMRs
Several University studies document cows fed TMRs produce 5 to 8 percent more milk per pound of ration dry matter. Normally with proper ration management, a minimum response of 2.5 pounds of milk per cow per day or 750 pounds per cow per year is realistic. Even herds with production averages above 20,000 pounds have recorded 6-10 percent increases in milk production. These increases in milk production are also associated with more efficient feed use, which generally means a higher income over feed cost.
Dairy producers save time and labor when feeding because the forages, grains, protein supplements, and minerals are not fed separately. Rather than making several trips around the barn, the feeds can be blended together in the TMR and the mix can be fed two to three times per day. Many herds have reported their feeding time (including mixing) has been cut a third, which has allowed them more time to handle other management tasks.
Feed Cost Reduction with TMRs
TMRs improve animal efficiency by diluting the animal’s maintenance requirements. These requirements are diluted because cows produce 5-8 percent more milk and utilize about 3 percent less feed than with conventional feeding programs. Nutrients are utilized more efficiently by the animal, thus reducing the amount of feed which passes through the gut unused. A correctly formulated TMR allows cows to make maximum use of all feed ingredients.
Since cows can be grouped by various levels of production, feedstuffs may be used where they’re most advantageous. Lower quality feeds can be used in lower production groups, while high production groups can be fed high quality forages and concentrates. TMRs mask the unpalatability of feeds, thus, by-product grains, protein supplements, dicalcium phosphate, feed limestone, trace mineral salt, and vitamin A-D-E premixes can be used without palatability problems. Using alternative feed ingredients can save dairy producers several thousand dollars per year.
Animal Health Considerations
Dairymen with conventional feeding systems find that during the first 8 to 10 weeks of lactation digestive upsets are common and it may be hard to bring cows up on feed. These off-feed problems may make peak milk production hard to achieve. Cows fed a properly balanced TMR in early lactation potentially have less digestive upsets because they are receiving a ration which is balanced for fiber and energy, which normally means steady, healthy rumen fermentation and prevents digestive upsets.
Milk fat percent may also increase when feeding a TMR. A major reason for this milk fat increase is fermentation by microorganisms in the rumen is more consistent. Forages, grain and other feeds are consumed in the same proportions, and rumen pH remains much more constant. This reduced fluctuation of rumen pH helps to reduce digestive upsets and stabilizes production of milk fat.
Fiber levels in a TMR ration can also be decreased. For example, if a conventional (top-dress grain and protein) ration requires approximately 21 percent acid detergent fiber for milking cows, a 19 percent acid detergent fiber TMR would give roughly equal results. By having a lower fiber requirement, a higher energy ration can be fed.. This higher energy ration can help to increase milk fat production and decrease body weight loss. This will help the cow to retain their body condition and consequently improve conception rates.
Since dairy cows are ruminants, one can equate feeding a cow to feeding a culture of bacteria. A whole series of digestion events take place in the rumen that are related to pH.
For example:
a) cellulose digestion - pH 6.0 to 6.8
b) microbial protein synthesis - pH 6.3 to 7.4
c) formation of acetic acid - pH 6.2 to 6.6 (precursor of milk fat)
Rumen fermentation which ensures maximum efficiency of milk production, high butterfat tests and maximum feed utilization is at a pH range of 6.2 to 6.8. Such a range in pH occurs when cows are fed optimal starch diets at frequent intervals throughout the day or when a balanced TMR is fed. TMRs help to ensure that rumen pH stays in this acceptable range and that maximum utilization of feedstuffs occurs. This ensures efficient use of your feedstuffs.
Research indicates that cows given free access to complete diets eat 4-5 times in 24 hours and have rumen pHs below 6.2. On the other hand, the same diets fed conventionally (top dressed grain and protein) gave rumen pHs as low as 5.6. This means, for several hours each day rumen pH favors poor fiber digestion. Mixing ingredients instead of feeding them separately normally increases milk production, improves fat test and improves dry matter intake.
Eliminate Cow’s Selective Consumption of Feeds
TMRs eliminate selective consumption. Individual cows may show a preference for certain feeds, resulting in waste, unnecessary consumption, and higher than necessary costs. More importantly, by grouping cows and feeding them a TMR based on production, you eliminate waste feed consumed by cows that do not produce a return relative to their feed costs.
TMR feeding also helps ‘mask’ the undesirable properties of feeds that would not normally be readily consumed. Haylage, which has not fermented properly will be consumed more readily if blended with other feed ingredients. As for minerals, free choice minerals and supplements is a guessing game at best. Some animals may be getting the right amount, but much of the time they aren’t. Cows left to eat according to their likes and dislikes often experience nutrient imbalances which result in off-feed, ketosis, and milk fever problems. A properly formulated TMR ensures that cows get all minerals they need, even if they aren’t very palatable.
Rules for Success
In order to successfully feed a TMR, there are 6 essential steps that should be followed:
1) Forages Must be of Optimum Quality and Must be Analyzed to determine crude protein, dry matter, fiber energy, and mineral levels.
2) Feedstuffs Must be Weighed Accurately to ensure the ration is balanced as formulated.
3) Accurate Determination of Feedstuff Moisture is essential to ensure proper ration balance.
4) Properly Balanced Rations must be properly balanced for each production group.
5) Sound Dry Cow Program which is separate from the lactating cows groups, is essential to ensure healthy productive cows.
6) Feed Intake Monitoring is essential to ensure that the ration being eaten is the same as the ration that was balanced for the cows.
Economics of TMR Feeding
Shifting to a TMR program is not an easy decision. Additional equipment, management and labor demands, and facility remodeling requires careful planning. Below is an updated budget based on a Cornell University research study published in the Journal of Dairy Science. As discussed previously in this paper, a minimum increase of 2.5 pounds of milk per cow per day is normal. This translates to 750 pounds of milk per cow per year.
Therefore, a TMR feeding system should return the dairy about $120.00 per cow more revenue per year. So if your investment cost is less than $120.00 per cow per year a TMR would be a profitable investment for your farm. The following budget shows how much you could invest per cow based on feed saving and increased milk production revenues. Assumptions used in budget are as follows;
50 Cow Farm.................................$120.00 Additional Revenue/Cow
10 year mixer life............................$12000.00 mixer and conveyor cost
10% interest on investment.............$159.00/month investment cost
$365.00/year mixing electricity
$300.00/year repairs and lubrication
TMR Budget
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*Above calculation uses a 10-year pay out (loan) to coincide with assumed 10-year life of equipment for comparison. If units were paid for with a shorter-term loan, initial cash flow would be more adversely affected, but total bottom line would be increased because of less interest to be paid.
Thus, using these assumptions a 50 cow herd could have about a $3427.00 increase in revenue due to purchasing a TMR feeding system. Use the previous example as a pattern to determine the economics of purchasing a mixer on your farm.
Using the same estimates with a four-year loan for equipment, you would net the following results for a 50-cow herd:
First four years increase in profit = $ 1,682/yr.
Following six years increase in profit = $ 5,335/yr.
Total Increased Profit = $ 38,738/10 yrs.
Total Increased Profit With 10-Year Financing is $ 34,270.
For information about switching to TMR, contact your local Patz dealer. Ask for the Patz Mixer Brochure and ask to see the video showing the Patz Mixer in action.
References:
1.'Total Mixed Rations for Dairy Cattle' by W.T. Howard, J. W. Crowley and N.A. Jorgensen, 1986, U-W Madison.
2.'Dairy Cattle Nutrient Requirements' by NAS, 1989.
3. Journal of Dairy Science 64:1243