Feed is the largest cost for a dairy farm. However, the levels of accuracy when loading feed ingredients into TMR mixer is often low or below average.

Here are 6 ways to improve feeding accuracy on your dairy farm:

1) Set Goals

• It is important to set achievable goals for feeding accuracy and share it with your feeder.

• Review feed management software reports with your feeders and analyse if there are areas that can be improved.

2) Re-evaluate The Use Of Tolerance Level

• From studies, over 46% of the ingredients have tolerance level which allowed deviation from target of more than 2%.

• Use of tolerance levels for ingredients should be re-evaluated and minimised.

3) Communication

• Communication is very important between managers and nutritionists with feeders.

• Often times, feeders will get reprimanded for loading expensive ingredients over the target weight.

• This will cause the feeders to load the expensive ingredients less than the target weights.

• Loading errors will result in a TMR with nutrient composition different from what is formulated.

• Hence, there must be good communication with the feeders on loading procedures as well as goals and suggestions.

4) Listening To Your Feeder

• It is important to listen to your feeder as they have good suggestions to improve the loading process.

• Loading ingredients precisely is a skill that needs time to master.

5) Premix As Alternatives

• When formulating rations, be aware of the physical requirements to create the daily ration.

• Sometimes, feeders may load a bagged ingredient first instead of third as the ration suggested.

• This may change the mixing uniformity.

• Adding small ingredients and bagged ingredients into premix will help to improve loading accuracy and mixing uniformity.

6) Ensure Mixer Scale Is Calibrated

• Check if the scale of mixer box is properly calibrated.

• It is difficult to accurately load ingredients if the scale number bounces up and down.

• To minimise, ensure the mixer is parked on a flat surface.