Merit's and Demerits of TMR

Merit's and Demerits of TMR

TMR Feeding Merits;

📍Improved feeding efficiency
📍Each mouthful with proper amount of ingredients
📍More stable and ideal environment for the rumen microbes
📍Adequate carbohydrates and nitrogen sources
📍Production of higher levels of microbial protein
📍Almost 4% increase in feed utilization
📍Utility of variety of byproduct feeds
📍Possible ration cost saving
📍Less digestive and metabolic problems
📍Milk production as much as 5% higher then conventional systems
📍Greater accuracy in formulation and feeding
📍Limited selective feeding
📍Effective Feeding of Commodity ingredients
📍Mask the flavor of less palatable fee (e.g. urea, limestone, fats, and some by-pass protein)

#Note:  Mixing Time 4 to 5 minutes--just long enough to achieve a good mixture (Not more then of it)

 Some Demerits of TMR;

📍Mixing or blending devices needed

📍Have  to follow the manufacturer's recommendations

📍Over mixing can cause serious problems

📍Under mixing can result in less effective feed

📍Needed accurate weighing with calibrated scales

📍Not good in some housing and feeding facilities

📍Not be economical for all herds, particularly small herd or pasture system

Total Mixed Ration (TMR)

 Total Mixed Ration (TMR)

✔️ Total mixed ration (TMR) is used to;

📍Achieve maximum performance

📍Nutritionally balanced ration

📍Cows consume as close as possible to their actual energy requirements

📍Maintaining the physical or roughage characteristics refer to as feed particle size

📍Proper rumen function

✔️ Good feeding management practices;

📍Monitor forage and feed inventory on a regular basis

📍Allocate to the appropriate animal group

📍Test forages and feeds several times throughout the year

✔️ Update ration formulations based on; 

📍Milk production
📍Milk fat
📍Milk protein percent
📍Current body weight
📍Body condition scores
📍Moisture changes in forages and feed ingredients
📍Prices of current feeds

TMR can be formulated for;

📍Fresh cows

📍Post Fresh

📍High BCS

📍High

📍High MID

📍MID

📍Low Group

📍Late-lactation

📍Dry Animal or Far off

📍Close-up dry cows. Such multi-group strategies are particularly helpful for meeting the needs of dry cows.

For TMR feeding we can also grouped Animal according to there;

📍Actual or fat-corrected milk

📍Days in milk

📍Reproductive status

📍Age

📍Nutrient requirements

📍Health

Note: Different farms use different reasons for adopting strategies for using TMR and these based on farm manager decision based on many different reasons.
#health #management #dairy #dairyfarm #TMR #energy

Fat Corrected Milk

 

FCM ( Fat Corrected Milk)

The energy requirement for production of a pound of milk is dependent on the energy content of the milk. 

Generally, there is a relatively close correlation between the amount of fat in milk and the energy content.

Frequently milk production is calculated to an approximately equal energy basis using the expression 4% fat-corrected milk or as fat-corrected milk which is abbreviated FCM.

 
The formula used is;

#FCM = {0.4 X milk (lb)} + {15 X fat (lb)}

Thus, The energy requirement per pound of 4% fat milk is about 0.34 Mcal of net energy, or 0.33 lb of TDN.

Example:  A cow having milk production of 80 Ib ( 36.28 liters) with 3.5 % then it's fat Corrected Milk would be as;

FCM = (0.4 X 80) + ( 15 X 2.8)

FCM = 32 + 42

FCM = 74 Ib or 33.56 Liter with 4 % Fat Percentage

This FCM can be used to calculate energy corrected Mil that is ECM.

Rumination

 

Rumination

✔️ Most important functions of the rumen microbes:

(1) Digestion of fibrous feeds

(2) Synthesis of essential nutrients such as Β vitamins and essential amino acids

(3) Utilization of compounds such as nonprotein nitrogen (NPN)

📌 Under normal conditions, the pH of the contents of the rumen and reticulum is maintained in the range of 6–7. (It may be lower in the grain-fed cows.)

✔️ Stable pH range is maintained by:

📌 Continual removal of acidic product

📌 Addition of bicarbonate from the saliva

Saliva

📌Makes chewing and swallowing easier

📌Sodium (Na) and potassium (K) salts that act as a buffering agents

📌 #Produce_150 Liter or more of saliva daily

Feed larger than 1 mm cannot leave the rumen,  So the rumen is probably the major regulator of feed intake and we have to care about feed particle size as more size leads to intake issue and less size lead to ruminal acidosis type problem.

Note: Over-mixing leads to less particle size, less Rumen retention, less Rumination, and less saliva production leading to acidosis and less milk production.

Reference

☑️Dairy Cattle Feeding and Nutrition by M.J.Miller

☑️FEEDING DAIRY COWS prepared by the Target 10 Project, Third edition 2002 Published by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Victorian State Government, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ISBN 1 74106 240 3