Diamond V Booth at World Dairy Expo 2014 (EH 3005)
Diamond V will hold a press conference at the 2014 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. highlighting one of the best tools to improve lactation performance and dairy profitability.The goal of the TMR Audit® is to reduce variation in the total mixed ration (TMR) consumed by cows while improving the efficiency of the dairy feeding operation.
TMR Audit originator Tom Oelberg, PhD will be on hand at the Diamond V booth (EH 3005) on Wed., Oct. 1, 10:00-10:30 a.m. to describe the TMR Audit and discuss producer outcomes covering more than five years of TMR Audit use now approaching 3,000 TMR Audits worldwide.
Dairy cows prefer consistency. They don't like a lot of variation in their daily routine. Consistent feeds and feeding add to cow wellness and pay off in better dairy enterprise performance.
"One of the greatest success factors in a dairy's financial well-being," says Dr. Oelberg, "is having a healthy rumen, every day, for every cow."
Dr. Oelberg is a dairy field technical specialist with Diamond V, the world's leading supplier of all-natural fermentation-based feed products.
But how can the dairy maintain a healthy rumen, every day, for every cow?
"It's a tough thing to do," Dr. Oelberg says, "because so many factors affect the rumen environment, starting with everything that affects the cow's dry matter intake -- weather, calving, pen moves, crowding, handling, ration changes, and dozens more factors, many of which the dairy producer cannot control."
However, the producer can control factors that affect the TMR, which is how Dr. Oelberg began his quest to develop the TMR Audit, the rigorous on-farm evaluation program by Diamond V Dairy Advisors that zeroes in on the preparation, processing, and consumption of the TMR.
The TMR Audit evaluates feed storage and preparation, ingredient variation and shrink, mixing and delivery of the TMR, and utilization of labor and resources. At the conclusion of the evaluation, Dr. Oelberg and other Dairy Advisors organize the information -- data from TMR samples, photos, videos, detailed notes, etc. and report to the dairy's feed management team. Almost always, the TMR Audit reveals problems and offers solutions that directly affect the profitability of the dairy.
Dr. Oelberg performed his first TMR Audit in 2008 and started training others. By 2011, Diamond V Dairy Advisors had completed 450 TMR Audits on about as many U.S. dairy farms. Late last year, the count passed 1,000 and now has gone well over 2,000 with additional TMR Audits conducted outside the U.S.
Dr. Oelberg and Dairy Advisor colleague Bill Stone, DVM, PhD recently completed the first peer-reviewed journal article on the TMR Audit TMRAudit, which is slated to become a chapter in an upcoming book.
The TMR Audit is part of a range of services offered by Diamond V Dairy Advisors to optimize cow health and performance while improving the profitability of dairy operations. For more, see the DairyAdvisor newsletter at www.diamondv.com.
Media are welcome to meet Dr. Oelberg and other Diamond V Dairy Advisors, who include consulting nutritionists and veterinarians. For more information or to arrange an interview with Dr. Oelberg, please contact:
Mike Wright
Director, Global Marketing and Research
Diamond V
1-800-373-7234
mwright@diamondv.com
About Diamond V
Headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA, Diamond V is a leading global nutrition and health company, conducting basic and applied research in multiple species, and manufacturing all-natural products to improve animal health and performance worldwide. More than 70 years of innovation, technology, and quality have earned Diamond V the reputation of The Trusted Experts in Nutrition and Health®.
9.26.2014