Total Mixed Ration (TMR)-FAQs
What is TMR?
Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is a type of feeding method for ruminants that involves combining various feed ingredients to provide a nutritionally balanced diet in every bite. The ingredients used in TMR can include hay, silage, grains, protein supplements, minerals, and vitamins.
The primary benefits of TMR is that it allows for precise control over the ruminant’s diet, ensuring that they receive all the necessary nutrients in the right amounts. This can lead to improved animal health, increased milk production in dairy cows, and faster growth in beef cattle.
TMRs final homogeneous structure prevents the ruminants from sorting components of the diet from each other. Reduced feed wastage and improved feed efficiency is the result.
Why is TMR recommened?
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The proper balance of ingredients and nutrients in the TMR is crucial for stimulating rumen function and promoting optimal health and performance in ruminants.
The inclusion of high-quality forages such as alfalfa or clover in the TMR can stimulate rumen function by providing a source of fiber, which is essential for maintaining a healthy rumen environment.
In addition to fiber, the TMR should include a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins to ensure optimal rumen function.
The inclusion of specific feed additives, such as yeast, probiotics, or enzymes, can also stimulate rumen function by improving the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the rumen.
What is a TMR Mixer?
The TMR mixer is an essential tool for modern livestock farming, as it allows farmers to create customized diets for their animals and ensure optimal health and productivity. Typically these equipments combine the mixing action with cutting of long fibrous ingredients like grass, hay, and straw.
A Total Mixed Ration (TMR) mixer is a type of feed mixer used in livestock farming to cut and mix different types of feeds and ingredients together to create a nutritionally balanced diet for the animals. The TMR mixer is designed to handle large volumes of feed ingredients and is typically used for rumianant livestock for dairy or beef production.
Vertical TMR Mixer
The vertical mixing system is characterized by one or multiple vertical augers equipped with specially shaped blades. Robust components and the auger design ensure the processing of whole bales of straw, hay and forage, and their mixing with other ingredients.
The high rotational speed of the auger and a adjustable counter knives provide an efficient cutting and mixing process. Due to the shape of the auger, the product is pushed upwards, creating a continuous flow along the hopper walls. The advantages of “vertical mixing” are the simplification of the cut and a significant reduction in feed compaction.
Horizontal TMR Mixer
Horizontal TMR mixers are characterized by two or more slowly rotating horizontal augers. The knives mounted on the auger and a counter-knife bar allow precise and efficient cutting of long fibers. Perfect size reduction without fraying, uniformity in size, homogeneous and accurate mixing of all ingredients without compression are typical charateristics of these systems.
Reduced mixing time and low energy requirements ensure cost-effective use.
Horizontal TMR Reel Mixer
Paddle reel mixer are the right choice for dairy and beef producers who use rations with high proportions of processed forage or grain.
A combination of a open center helicoidal paddle reel and 2 high-capacity augers mixes the rations carefully, avoiding damage to the feed ingredients. The desired particle length and size of the ingredients is preserved.
A low loading height for the use of compact loaders is standard.
How to choose a TMR Mixer?
The TMR mixer is a work tool that must be adapted to the destination livestock. There is no conclusive or definitive recommendation on the type of system to use. Variants of livestock and fodder ingredients must be taken into account and evaluated with an expert in animal nutrition and the equipment supplier.
According to specific ingredients and TMR formulation, there is a choice of different systems. Most common are vertical and horizontal combined chop and mix systems, which can process baled hay and forrage with long fibrous ingredients.
When only mixing of ingredients is needed, horizontal reel mixers are a choice.
Vertical System:
Desgin: Narrow conical design, 1 to 4 vertical augers
Capacities:
From 1.5m3 to 14 m3 with a vertical auger
Up to 48 m3 with multiple augers
Suitable for whole bales depending on the size
Cuting and mixing: Cut and mix up to large volumes.
Soft and fluffy mixture.
Discharge: Pulsed discharge of the mixture
Horizontal systems:
Design: Compact, low loading height, 2 or 4 horizontal auger
Capacities: Between 5 to 33 m3 of hopper, with superior use of volume. Suitable for whole bales depending on the size
Cuting and mixing: Fast and clean cutting of the fibrous ration. Mixes even with partial hopper load.
Discharge: Continuous and precise flow
Horizontal Reel System:
Design: Narrow half pipe design, horizontal paddle reel
Capacities:
From 6.0 m3 to 18 m3
Mixing: Low speed paddles generate a gentle tumbling action without destroying structural fiber in the diet.
Discharge: Continuous and precise flow
