Preparing the Rations
Our cows are fed a “total mixed ration,” or "TMR.” Ken Manning formulates the diets for the milking herd, making sure that all nutrient requirements are met and that the cows are fed a well-balanced, healthy diet. Once the diet for a specific group of cows is formulated, each ingredient (the three forages, the corn grain and the soybeans) is added in a specific amount to a “mixer box,” which, as the name suggests, mixes everything together. This photo shows grass forage unloaded from the silo into a conveyor that takes each ingredient to the mixer box.