Weighing Accuracy of Individual Total Mixed Ration Components in Mixer Feed Wagons for Dairy Cows

Monitoring the quantity of feed provided is of fundamental importance for dairy cows and the entire farm operation, as feed costs account for 60–70% of total operating expenses. Monitoring the precise amount of feed delivered, using automated weighing systems on mixer wagons, ensures that dairy cows are fed an accurately calculated ration tailored to their age, production phase, and performance. Deviations in the delivered quantity can lead to an imbalanced diet and a decline in milk production. Our objective was to propose changes in feeding management and to optimize the workflow to minimize operator error during the dosing of feed components. The innovation of our research lies in the statistically supported identification and quantification of differences within the feeding process. Although the average feeding error over the mentioned period (one month, June) was statistically low, which might suggest good control over feed delivery, the monthly variability in individual components was unacceptably high. For instance, on Farm B, the average surplus of alfalfa haylage was 5.89%, yet values fluctuated significantly between days (standard deviation for the June period of 22.03%), indicating high variability and the likely occurrence of extremes (134.5%). Although it might look like the average monthly error may be controllable, this error hides an unacceptably high daily fluctuation.