Accuracy and homogeneity of total mixed rations processed through trailer mixer or self-propelled mixer, and effects on the yields of high-yielding dairy cows
Introduction
In light of increasing dairy-cow yields, most dairy herds in Israel and elsewhere use a total mixed ration (TMR) feeding system; these include about 90 % of large dairy herds in the USA (Schingoethe, 2017), and almost all dairy herds in Israel. There are many advantages of TMR feeding over component feeding as: minimizing the sorting and separation of feed ingredients by the animal, which ensures that each bite takes a uniform nutritionally balanced feed; high production (Ferland et al., 2018); possibility of incorporating unpalatable by-products, etc. In practice there are three types of rations: i) the programmed ration, ii) the prepared ration, and iii) the consumed ration. The programmed ration is formulated by using least-cost computerized software, based on lab analysis and database information from the literature regarding the available feed ingredients (grains, meals, forages, etc.), to meet the cow's estimated requirements. The prepared ration depends on the machinery used for mixing and delivering the ration, the quality of the operator, the control system, loading sequence, etc. The consumed diet depends on accuracy and homogeneity of the ration, feeding management, stocking density, etc.
Efforts to improve TMR formulation have addressed the quality and contents of feed ingredients, and the machinery involved in TMR preparation and delivery; but the accuracy and homogeneity of the resulting TMR – which are very important factors influencing the health and productivity of the cow – were rarely examined. Furthermore, inclusion in the modern cow's ration of a variety of forages, grains, meals, byproducts, minerals, and feed additives, all with differing physical properties, makes attention to these factors more challenging. Use of high-quality feed ingredients that are appropriately formulated in terms of nutritional and feed values does not guarantee an accurate and homogenized ration. The programmed ration can be adequate and appropriate for a cow’s requirements, but if the diet is not prepared precisely or the nutrition management is not appropriate, the animal may end up consuming an unbalanced diet.
The machinery used for ration preparation is an essential factor in determining the quality of the resulting ration. The TMR feeding system is based on a mixer feeder that can be loaded either by a front loader (loader) or by a special mechanism that is an integral part of the mixer/feeder. Trailer mixer (TM) feeders and stationary mixer feeders are loaded by a loader, whereas the self-propelled loading mixer (SPLM) feeder is loaded by a special mechanism that is an integral part of the SPLM. As aforementioned, accuracy and homogeneity of the resulting TMR were rarely examined. We hypothesized that the TMR’s quality prepared by TM or SPLM will be different, mainly because of the different loading system, which may affect the cows’ performance. Therefore, in the present study, for the first time, we examined the accuracy and homogeneity of TMRs prepared by using a TM or SPLM, and assessed the effects on yields of high-yielding dairy cows.
Section snippets
Cows and treatments
The procedures used in this study were approved by the Volcani Center Animal Care Committee; it was conducted on a large commercial dairy farm (Tefen Farm, Kibbutz Tuval, Israel), which owned 1200 milking cows with an average milk production of 11,000 kg/cow per 305 d of lactation.
Multiparous Israeli-Holstein cows (n = 216) were stratified into two treatment groups according to their average milk production during the 10 d before the start of the experiment, days in milk (DIM), parity, and body
Results and discussion
The present results demonstrate differences in accuracy and homogeneity of the TMR, as affected by the machinery used for diet preparation: TM or SPLM. The differences in diet characteristics influenced milk yields and content of high-yielding dairy cows.
Conclusions
The present study demonstrated the impact of the machinery used for diet preparation: it may influence the accuracy and homogeneity of the TMR and, consequently, the cows' performance. The TMR prepared with the SPLM was more accurate in terms of feed loading and diet chemical composition than a ration prepared with a TM. Furthermore, the TMR prepared with a SPLM was more homogeneous in chemical composition than that prepared with the TM. Differences between the TMRs also were observed in their
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors whose names are listed immediately below certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in
Acknowledgments
We thank the staff of the Tefen dairy farm at Kibbutz Tuval, Israel, for their willingness to perform the study and their assistance with animal care. This research was partially funded by Lachish Industries Ltd, Sderot, Israel.
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