Feed Your Cows Optimum Levels of TMR
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For dairy farmers and livestock producers, now is the time to start thinking about reducing Total Mixed Ration (TMR) sorting for cows whose may be eating less as temperatures increase and the likelihood of heat stress increases. TMR sorting can result in problems like subacute acidosis, slug feeding of grain and less-than-adequate consumption of fibre. In order to maximize intake and prevent sort, you need to know the optimum levels of moisture content for your TMR.
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According to studies, a 52 per cent moisture ratio can result in more sorting than a drier diet, such as a 42 per cent moisture ratio. Furthermore, the ration with the higher moisture content may be less palatable, which can also contribute to reduced intake. Adding water to TMR that is already relatively high in moisture can also dilute the helpful fermentative acids in the TMR, not to mention increase the likelihood of spoilage – especially now, as the weather gets hotter.
Another thing to bear in mind is that cows who are fed an acidic, high-moisture diet, such as corn silage, tend to go for longer fibre, such as hay. And the reverse is also true: on a diet that is high in hay, cows tend to choose corn silage or grain.
So, what is that just-right amount of moisture content in TMR? TMRs with a lot of hay silage can benefit from a bit of added water, which will reduce sorting and increase acceptability, because remember that if you can pick it up and shake grain out of it, cows can too. With these types of TMR, it’s helpful to add up to 50 per cent or even slightly higher moisture.
However, diets that are high in corn silage are probably already high in moisture, so very little added water is usually needed. Cows on these kinds of TMRs usually select longer fibre for eating.
Of course, there’s no just-right cookbook recipe for the optimum levels of your feed components. It all depends on what, exactly, you’re working with, and what, exactly, your cows need. The factors that will influence the ideal moisture content of your TMR, in order to increase intake and minimize sorting, include: particle size, frequency of feeding, dry hay, the amount of acidic fermented feeds, humidity levels and heat, plus a few other factors that rely, more than anything else, on observation and ex
