A 100-Year Review: Total mixed ration feeding of dairy cows.

Total mixed rations (TMR) as we know them today did not exist in 1917. In fact, TMR are an invention of primarily the last half of the past 100 yr. Prior to that time many dairy herds were fed only forages, but dairy producers started moving toward TMR feeding as milk production per cow increased, herds became larger, freestall and large-group handling of cows became more common, and milking parlors became more prevalent.

Influence of Milk Fat Higher in Unsaturated Fatty Acids on the Accuracy of Milk Fat Analyses by the Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Method.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the reliability of milk fat measurement by the mid-infrared spectroscopic method when analyzing milk fat containing greater than normal amounts of unsaturated fatty acids. Sixteen mid-lactation Holstein cows were divided into four treatments including a control (C), control with bovine somatotropin (C+), bovine somatotropin and added dietary fat from sunflower seeds (Sun+), or bovine somatotropin and added dietary fat from safflower seeds (Saff+). Milks were sampled weekly for 16 weeks (n=256).