Abstract #T114
Section: Production, Management and the Environment (posters)
Session: Production, Management and the Environment 2
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Tuesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
Session: Production, Management and the Environment 2
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Tuesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
# T114
Deviation between the formulated target and the real weight loaded into the mixer in dairy farms in Argentina.
B. Mancilla1, C. Fernández1, L. Rubies2, P. Turiello*1, 1Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina, 2Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina, 3Nutrir+, Arias, Córdoba, Argentina, 4Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
Key Words: feeding management, deviation
Deviation between the formulated target and the real weight loaded into the mixer in dairy farms in Argentina.
B. Mancilla1, C. Fernández1, L. Rubies2, P. Turiello*1, 1Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina, 2Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina, 3Nutrir+, Arias, Córdoba, Argentina, 4Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
The number of dairies using software to monitor feeding management is increasing in Argentina. The aim of this study was to make a characterization of the deviations between the target weight (TW) and the real weight (RW) loaded into the mixer of the most frequently used ingredients in dairies using the software Nutrir+ in Argentina. We worked with more than 42,000 records from a total of 38 loaded ingredients in 40 dairies. We calculated the deviation from the target weight for each of the 5 most frequently used ingredients in diets for lactating cows. We expressed this result as an absolute difference (AD) between both values (AD = TW − RW; kg) and as a relative difference (RD) considering the formulated target weight (RD = (TW − RW)/TW x 100; %). We calculated the range of the median values of the RD for each farm on each ingredient. The results are shown in the table. One of the least accurate ingredients loaded was soybean meal as there were 25% of the loads that exceeded 13.8% of deviation from the target. This is important as soybean meal is one of the most expensive ingredients. On the other hand, corn silage is the most accurate ingredient loaded in relative terms, probably because it is included in a higher proportion of the diet. Alfalfa hay loads showed the highest RD. There is a great variation between farms on the deviation between formulated target and real weights, meaning there are opportunities to improve feeding accuracy.
Table 1 (Abstr. T114). Deviation from target weight for the most frequently used ingredients
1Absolute difference calculated as the target weight minus the real loaded weight
2Relative difference calculated as the absolute difference divided by the target weight
| Ingredient | N (farms) | Median absolute difference (IQR),1 kg | Median relative difference (IQR),2 % | Range of farm median relative difference, % |
| Corn silage | 6338 (37) | 30 (8–80) | 1.9 (0.5–5.2) | 1.0–21.2 |
| Soybean meal | 3578 (27) | 10 (3–34) | 4.5 (1.2–13.8) | 0.2–21.2 |
| Corn | 3464 (26) | 13 (3–40) | 3.9 (1.0–11.4) | 0.5–19.7 |
| Alfalfa hay | 3271 (27) | 12 (3–32) | 6 (2.0–16.5) | 0.2–40.5 |
| Water | 3008 (21) | 17 (4–43) | 3.8 (0.9–11.7) | 0.3–58.0 |
Key Words: feeding management, deviation
