Predicting the nutritive value of dairy cattle rations

In intensive dairy production, feed costs represent up to 60% of the total cost of producing milk. Continuous improvement in efficiency is vital to the success of the dairy enterprise. Reliable and rapid feed analyses are therefore required to accurately assess the availability of energy and nutrients in feeds. Total mixed rations (TMR) are the common way to deliver feed to cattle. Feed ingredients are routinely tested on an individual basis. The energy values of the resulting TMR are calculate