Formulation of total mixed ration (TMR) for commercial dairy farms

Abstract

The Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is an effective and profitable way to supply all the required nutrients uniformly in each bite of the dairy animal to optimize farm inputs for a desired level of milk production. The TMR makes it easy to set realistic goals for sustainable milk production from healthy, productive and fertile dairy cows by meeting their nutrient requirements in a more accurate way than the conventional approaches. The TMR reduces feed sorting, optimizes intake of dietary fiber, soluble starch, degradable and non-degradable proteins in the rumen, and thus, enhances dry matter intake, optimizes feed utilization, lowers ruminal acidosis and eventually improves the lipid profile of milk for human consumption. This paper typically discusses the step-by-step procedures involved in setting variable milk targets and demonstrates an easy and accurate way of calculating how much locally available feed is required to achieve the desired production targets. It takes into consideration the concrete guidelines of Agricultural Research Council for developing countries. Inevitable drawbacks of adopting TMRs in small scale dairy farms are also discussed and suggestions provided to overcome.