SILAGE MANAGEMENT
yes

Benvenuti in Selko®. Questo sito è disponibile anche in italiano.

Benvenuti in Selko®. Questa pagina è disponibile anche in italiano.

Visita il sito Rifiuta

Bienvenido a Selko®. Este sitio también está disponible en español

Bienvenido a Selko®. Esta página también está disponible en inglés

Visitar la web Cancelar

Vítejte ve společnosti Selko®. Tyto stránky jsou k dispozici také v češtině

Vítejte ve společnosti Selko®. Tato stránka je k dispozici také v angličtině

Navštivte stránky Zrušit

Vítame Vás na Selko®. Táto stránka je k dispozícii aj v slovenskom jazyk.

Vitajte v spoločnosti Selko®. Táto stránka je k dispozícii aj v slovenskom jazyku.

Prejdite na webovú lokalitu Zrušit

Bem-vindo à Selko®. Este site também está disponível em língua portuguesa.

Bem-vindo à Selko®. Esta página também está disponível em português.

Visite o site Cancelar

EN

Close
Chiudere / Cerrar / Zavřít / Zatvoriť

Select your language:
Selecione seu idioma
Vyberte jazyk
Seleccione su idioma
Selezionare la lingua
Vyberte si jazyk
Português (Brasil) Česky Español Italiano Slovensky

Impact of TMR preservation with Selko TMR on dairy milk production and feeding behavior during warm weather

Key take aways from this article

  • Spoilage and heating of TMR reduces the nutritional value and affect palatability, especially during warm weather
  • Selko TMR preserves the quality of TMR during the day, which is reflected in an improved milk production
  • Cows receiving untreaded TMR showed more signs of feed selecting behavior, indicating a reduced palatability of the ration

Support TMR palatability and dairy milk production by keeping TMR fresh with Selko TMR

This study aimed to assess the effects of Selko TMR on the performance, rumen fermentation, and feeding behavior of dairy cattle during the warm weather season. The research, conducted at Kempenshof Ruminant Research Centre, included the entire herd of 120 animals, blocked by days in milk and parity. Despite an unexpected lack of difference in dry matter intake, Selko TMR demonstrated a tendency to increase milk yield by 1.7 kg in week 5, leading to significantly higher yields of milk solids. Feeding behavior analysis revealed that Selko TMR-fed cows spend less time eating, demonstrating potential improvements in TMR palatability.

Selko® | sharing latest scientific insights

Did you know?
TMR spoilage can already begin at temperatures of 21°C

In a trial at Kempenshof Ruminant Research Centre involving 120 dairy cows, Selko TMR proved to be effective in improving milk production during warm weather. While maintaining dry matter intake, cows on Selko TMR showed an increase in milk yield, particularly a 1.7 kg rise in the 5th week, and significantly higher milk solids.

Read more

Selko® | sharing latest scientific insights

Selko TMR preserves TMR quality and elevates milk yield at the same time

A study revealed Selko TMR's role in TMR preservation, maintaining feed quality and enhancing milk output. By mitigating TMR spoilage and heating, it demonstrated a 0.9 kg/h/d milk production increase, highlighting its importance in feed management during cooler seasons.

Read more
Description Inclusion rate Selko TMR Parity Days in milk
T1 - Negative control - 2.8 ± 1.6 221 ± 123
T2 - Selko TMR liquid 2 kg. / ton TMR 2.8 ± 1.5 219 ± 128
Description Inclusion rate Selko TMR Parity Days in milk
T1 - Negative control - 2.8 ± 1.6 221 ± 123
T2 - Selko TMR liquid 2 kg / ton TMR 2.8 ± 1.5 219 ± 128

Table 1. Treatment groups

Material and methods

The study was carried out with 120 lactating dairy cows, of which eight were fistulated, at the Trouw Nutrition dairy research centre (Kempenshof, the Netherlands). Cows were blocked based on parity and days in milk (DIM). Both groups of 60 dairy cows were fed the same diet based on a mixture of grass and corn silage, mixed into a TMR, and the first week was considered an adaptation period. The treatment group received TMR including 2 kg/t of Selko-TMR (Treatment table). Both groups were fed once a day for a total study period of 7 weeks.

Figure 1. Average weekly TMR Dry Matter Intake (kg/day) of cows receiving TMR preserved with Selko-TMR versus the control group. Bars with different superscripts differ significantly (p=0.02)

Figure 2. Average Milk Yield per cow per day (kg/day) of cows receiving TMR preserved with Selko-TMR versus the control group. Points marked with * differ by p=0.07

Results

Average daily temperatures were between 20 and 30 °C during the study and maximum temperatures reached up to just above 35 °C. The temperature heat index was regularly above 72, suggesting that the cows were suffering from heat stress. Dry matter intake (DMI) and the volatile fatty acids (VFA) profile of the rumen fluid did not differ significantly. The DMI of the TMR was significantly lower in the Selko-TMR group during the adaptation period (Figure 1; -1.3 kg/day; p=0.02).

At the start of the study, there was an insignificant difference of 0.3 kg/day (p=0.52) in milk production between the treatment groups. This difference tended to increase towards the end of the study with the cows fed the TMR with Selko-TMR producing 1.7 kg/day more milk compared to the control group (p = 0.07; Figure 2).

As a result, a similar trend was found for milk protein, fat, and lactose yield with significantly higher yields (kg per day) at different time points in the Selko-TMR group. Body condition scores showed no differences. Rumen VFA, rumen pH, and health parameters remained consistent between groups.

Selko® | sharing latest scientific insights

Check the quality of your TMR
with a free TMR pathogen screening

Protect cow health and milk production with a complementary TMR pathogen screening worth €100. Early detection of contamination maintains herd performance. Contact us to claim your analysis.

This is not correct
This is not correct
This is not correct
This is not correct
This is not correct

Almost there, please provide your consent below...

Thank you for requesting your free pathogen screening.

We have just sent you an email to confirm your registration. You will be contacted within the next 5 business days to discuss further details about the screening.

Enjoy your day, the Selko global marketing team

Figure 3. Higher feed intake rate (gr. wet feed/min) of cows receiving TMR with Selko TMR compared to control

Figure 4. Shorter visit durations (sec) of cows receiving TMR with Selko TMR compared to control.

Selko TMR-fed cows exhibited faster eating, with fewer visits per day compared to the control group. The feeding pattern varied throughout the day, indicating a potential impact of Selko TMR on feeding behavior. Selko TMR fed cows visited and spend less time at the feeding station compared to the control group.

The intake rate (g wet/min) was significantly lower in the control group during the night, afternoon and evening (Figure 3; p <0.01). The visit durations were shorter in Selko TMR group during the whole day (p=0.04) but most profound at morning (p =0.004) and afternoon (p=0.0006); (Figure 4.)

Conclusion

The study suggests that Selko TMR, despite not influencing dry matter intake, may contribute to improved milk yield and composition, along with altered feeding behavior. The control group visited the feeding station more times per day and spend more time eating which indicates more feed selecting behaviour as most of the feeding behaviour measures demonstrate that cows with more visits per day, spend less time at each feeder visit with a lower intake per visit or meal (Cavani et al. 2022).

The observed rise in milk production and decreased signs of feed selection are likely attributed to the enhanced palatability and nutritional value of the TMR preserved by Selko-TMR.

Ligia Cavani, William E. Brown, Kristen L. Parker Gaddis, Robert J. Tempelman, Michael J. VandeHaar, Heather M. White, Francisco Peñagaricano, Kent A. Weigel; Estimates of genetic parameters for feeding behavior traits and their associations with feed efficiency in Holstein cows, Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 105, Issue 9, 2022, Pages 7564-7574, ISSN 0022-0302

Selko | solutions based on science

Increase your milk production by improving fibre digestibility

Contact your local Selko IntelliBond representative for more information

This is not correct
This is not correct
This is not correct
This is not correct
This is not correct
This is not correct

Thank you for contacting Selko

We have just sent you an email to confirm your request. We will contact you within the next 3 business days.

Enjoy your day,
the Selko global marketing team

Download more research and documentation

You can access all of our documentation about Selko protocols, sustainable dairy farming and latest research insights.

Selko-TMR is a blend of organic acids reducing growth of yeasts, moulds, Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella in silage of dairy cows. The reduction in growth of micro-organisms delays increases in temperature of the TMR for at least 6 hours, Silages treated with Selko-TMR maintain their feeding value and palatabilty, resulting in a higher intake of dry matter.

Download the product brochure to learn how Selko-TMR helps to preserve the value of your feed.

Or visit our download center for more information:

Go to download center

Register once and download all you need

This is not correct
This field is required
This is not correct
This is not correct.
This is not correct

Thank you for your interest in Selko

We have just sent you an email. Follow the instructions in this email to complete your download. Notice that In some cases, spam filters can block automated emails. If you do not find the email in your inbox, please check your junk email folder.

Have a nice day!

Find out more about dairy performance...