Consistent feed composition and delivery are generally recognized as key components for optimal animal health and maximizing milk production and profitability. Equally important are accurate measurement and tracking of feed intake for determining feed efficiency of milk production and income over feed cost (IOFC) as key indicators of economic performance and profitability.

Addition of water to total mixed rations (TMRs) has become a generally accepted recommendation to reduce sorting behaviour by cattle during eating. As such, there are a number of recommendations out there concerning the “ideal” moisture content for total mixed rations (TMRs), some of which may seem to contradict each another.

A recent experiment in the Journal of Dairy Science by Jud Heinrich’s group at Pennsylvania State University lends support to Jaylor’s recommendations for the optimal particle size distribution of total mixed rations (TMRs) for dairy cattle.