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Preparing Balanced Total Mixed Ration (TMR) For Dairy Animals - Benison Media
Preparing Balanced Total Mixed Ration (TMR) For Dairy Animals - Benison Media
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19/06/2023, 11:56 Preparing Balanced Total Mixed Ration (TMR) for Dairy Animals | Benison Media
Balanced ration is a prerequisite for successful dairy farming. An animal of high genetic potential will become a medium
milk producer if feed is not properly balanced. When the feed is not properly balanced, it leads to low milk production,
lower growth in heifers, impaired reproduction and low immunity. In Punjab, the majority of farmers keep animals under
mixed farming system doing both crop production and animal husbandry. Such farmers rely more on crop residues like
wheat straw and paddy straw for feeding to animals. Crop residues are inherently low in essential nutrients and animals
subsisting on these produces lower quantity of milk. On the other hand, the farmers who take dairy farming as their main
profession tend to feed more balanced ration and their milk production per animal is higher. Before formulating a balanced
concentrate feed, the following points need to be kept in mind:
Type of forage being fed – Non legume fodders are low in protein but high in energy whereas legume fodders are high in
protein, calcium and phosphorus but low in dry matter
Quality of forage fed – Mature, dry fodders are low in digestibility and in energy and other essential nutrients
6. The unpalatable materials can be mixed in TMR at higher proportions without affecting the intake of animals.
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For making concentrate mixture of required crude protein per cent, Pearson square method can be used. It is described
below:
Pearson square method
First fix the
ingredients 2.0% bypass fat
1.5% mineral mixture
1% salt
4.5% molasses
0.5% buffer
0.1% toxin binder
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0.1% yeast
0.05% chelated trace minerals
0.25% limestone powder
Total = 10
These 10 parts of concentrate will not supply any protein, therefore, balance 90 kg should contain 23.76 kg crude protein
Then select energy ingredients like maize, wheat bran and deoiled rice bran. Give weighted value to calculate the crude
protein % of these energy ingredients. Here we have taken 50% maize, 25% wheat bran and 25% deoiled rice bran. The
crude protein per cent in these are 9, 13 and 16%, respectively. The average CP of grain mix will be
(50 x 0.09) + (25 x 0.13) + (25 x 0.16) = 11.75%
Similarly, protein mix of mustard cake is (70%) and soybean meal (30%) having CP % of 36 and 45%, respectively. Their
average CP will be 38.7%.
Then applying the Pearson square method:
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The quantity of concentrate ingredients per animal per day was calculated by taking proportion of each ingredient from 8.5 Ask Feed Expert
kg daily concentrate allowance. For example, the above concentrate contains 20.54 % maize in it. The daily maize intake
by the animal will be 8.5×0.2054=1.75 kg.
3. Make sure that there is always 2-3% residue left in the manger which could be fed to dry animals.
5. It is difficult to design a TMR on green fodder because the quality changes frequently but on silage-based feeding system
the quality of roughage remains similar for longer periods and accordingly calculation could be done.
Properly balanced ration not only increases the milk production but also lowers the cost of milk production as well as it
provides balanced ration with higher efficiency of conversion of ration DM to milk solids. On an average, the dairy ration
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19/06/2023, 11:56 Preparing Balanced Total Mixed Ration (TMR) for Dairy Animals | Benison Media
should be balanced on fortnightly basis depending upon change in milk production and quality and quantity of available
green fodder.
by RS Grewal and Jaswinder Singh, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana
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