Influence of different loading levels, cutting and mixing times on total mixed ration (TMR) homogeneity in a vertical mixing wagon during distribution: a case study

Figures & data

Table 1. Experimental design.

Day	Mixer wagon loading level (%)	Cutting time (min)	Mixing time (min)
1	40	4	4
2	40	4	6
3	40	5	5
4	40	6	4
5	40	6	6
6	70	4	4
7	70	4	6
8	70	5	5
9	70	6	4
10	70	6	6
11	100	4	4
12	100	4	6
13	100	5	5
14	100	6	4
15	100	6	6

Table 2. The TMR formulated by the nutritionist (TMR sampled in the mixing wagon).

Feed	Kilograms (kg)
Corn silage	21.5
Concentrate	8.2
Meadow hay	2.0
Alfalfa hay	2.0
Ryegrass hay	1.7
Corn meal	1.4
Molasses	0.7
Total amount of TMR/cow (kg)	37.5
Chemical composition	(% DM)
DM	54.3
Crude Protein	12.8
Ether extract	2.6
NDF	35.1
Ash	6.8

DM: dry matter; NDF: neutral detergent fibre; Ash: Ashes

Table 3. Chemical values (LS means ± SEM) of samples collected on the alley according to loading level, cutting and mixing time (n = 225).

Loading level of the wagon %	Cutting time (min)	Mixing time (min)	DM (%) on as fed basis	SEM	Ashes (% DM)	SEM	CP (% DM)	SEM	EE (% DM)	SEM	NDF (% DM)	SEM
40	4	4	52.15	1.01	6.64	0.26	10.98	0.61	2.38	0.14	40.17	1.97
40	4	6	54.03	1.01	7.83	0.26	12.27	0.61	2.73	0.14	39.92	1.97
40	5	5	55.47	1.01	6.87	0.26	14.97	0.61	2.79	0.14	38.15	1.97
40	6	4	55.81	1.01	6.81	0.26	12.55	0.61	2.47	0.14	37.24	1.97
40	6	6	56.82	1.01	6.58	0.26	12.19	0.61	2.46	0.14	40.21	1.97
70	4	4	53.91	1.01	6.84	0.26	13.42	0.61	2.69	0.14	33.35	1.97
70	4	6	54.00	1.01	6.89	0.26	13.48	0.61	2.65	0.14	35.47	1.97
70	5	5	55.40	0.58	6.92	0.15	12.45	0.35	2.45	0.08	36.19	1.14
70	6	4	56.09	1.01	6.23	0.26	11.99	0.61	2.46	0.14	35.54	1.97
70	6	6	52.04	1.01	7.05	0.26	12.51	0.61	2.58	0.14	34.74	1.97
100	4	4	56.27	1.01	7.20	0.26	11.82	0.61	2.26	0.14	35.56	1.97
100	4	6	54.00	0.71	6.94	0.18	14.09	0.43	2.86	0.10	37.67	1.39
100	5	5	53.33	1.01	6.29	0.26	12.51	0.61	2.57	0.14	39.21	1.97
100	6	4	55.12	1.24	7.09	0.32	13.67	0.75	2.71	0.17	39.89	2.43
100	6	6	54.87	1.01	6.52	0.26	11.22	0.61	2.70	0.14	36.77	1.97

CP: crude protein; DM: dry matter; EE: ether extract; NDF: neutral detergent fibre

Figure 1. Chemical parameters difference of the formulated ratio vs. the collected samples (on the x axis, from the bottom, loading level, cutting and mixing times combinations, as reported in the experimental design.

CP: crude protein; EE: ether extract; NDF: neutral detergent fibre (NDF); DM: dry matter

Table 4. Statistical significance of data analysis related to the difference of chemical characteristics of each collected sample compared to the chemical characteristics of the diet sampled in the mixer.

		Loading level of the wagon (% of nominal capacity)
Chemical parameters^1	Effect	40	70	100
DM content	Mixing time	0.19^a	1.68	1.57^b
Ash content (% DM)	Loading level of the mixing wagon	0.13^a	−0.05	−0.23^b
EE content (% DM)	Loading level of the mixing wagon	−0.07^a,A	0.33^b	0.34^b,B
NDF content (% DM)	Loading level of the mixing wagon	4.88^A,a	−0.59^B	0.72^b
CP content (% DM)	Loading level of the mixing wagon	−0.54^a	0.38	0.70^b

¹Difference between the analysed diets collected in the alley and in the mixing wagon.

^A,BValues in the same row with different superscripts differ significantly (p<.01).

^a,bValues in the same row with different superscripts differ significantly (p<.05).

CP: crude protein; DM: dry matter; EE: ether extract; NDF: neutral detergent fibre; Ash: Ashes

Table 5. List of the most efficient combination for loading, cutting and mixing times expressed by sums of the deviations of each chemical parameter collected from along the alley to formulated TMR.

Loading level of the mixing wagon (% nominal volume)	Cutting time (min)	Mixing time (min)	Σ items
70	6	6	2.78
70	5	5	3.77
70	4	4	3.91
100	4	6	4.08
70	4	6	5.12
100	6	6	5.33
100	4	4	5.66
40	6	4	6.15
100	5	5	6.43
40	5	5	7.25
40	4	6	7.30
100	6	4	7.75
70	6	4	8.45
40	4	4	11.98
40	6	6	12.53

The shading in the table represents the ranking in efficient combinations, from the most efficient ones (no shaded) to the worst combinations (grey shaded).

Figure 2. DM and NDF content variation of the diet samples collected along the alley.

DM: dry matter; NDF: neutral detergent fibre.