TMR Stability in Hot Weather

Microbes become active in the exposed layer of stored forages and high moisture grains when days are longer and warmer. This seeds your TMR with increasing numbers of active microbes which consume readily available carbohydrates that should go to your cows. Their activity generates heat in the TMR, and odors and tastes which reduce intake.

Westway can include a blend of microbial inhibitors to reduce microbial degradation of your TMR and keep intake higher during hot weather. Here are the results of a trial done in a Wisconsin dairy during June – August of 2002.

Control and Test groups of 115 cows each received a similar TMR except the Test group ration included 4 lb/hd/day of a 65% dry matter Liquid blend containing Westway’s TMR stability package. The groups were switched on July 27.

The cattle were fed once daily. TMR temperatures were measured over a 24 hour feeding cycle. Note that the treated TMR temperature remains close to the ambient temperature, but the untreated TMR temperature increases.

Yeast and mold counts were acceptable at feeding in both groups. The treatment TMR mold count had tripled at the end of 24 hours. However, in the untreated TMR the mold count increased 500X.

Feed intake was higher with the treatment group. The chart below shows as fed intake. In both groups hotter temperatures reduced intake, but daily intake was depressed more in the untreated TMR when temperatures were highest.

From June 17 through August 21, the average as fed feed intake by the treatment group was 96.1 lbs, vs 90.8 lbs by the control group, a difference of 5.3 lbs as fed, or 2.7 lbs on a dry matter basis.

Conclusions:

Treatment of the TMR with a liquid blend containing stabilizing agents improves feed stability and feed intake during hot weather stress.