Proceeding of Veterinary and Animal Science Days 2018, 6th- 8th June, Milan, Italy 

HAF © 2013 

Vol. V, No. 1s  ISSN: 2283-3927 

   

 

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Following the concepts of precision feeding, the right components balance (Sova et al., 2014) 

and the correct particle size distribution (PSD, Khan et al., 2014) of total mixed ration (TMR) are 

essential for a complete homogeneity of the diet and are strongly influenced by adopted mixing 

time (MT, Humer et al., 2018, Schingoethe et al.,2017). The aim of the trial was to determine the 

influence of two MTs (MT1≤7min and MT2>7min) on the chemical homogeneity and PSD along 

the feeding alley (FA). Diets were performed with a horizontal cutter-mixer wagon (Gulliver 

4016, Sgariboldi), and TMR samples were collected from the beginning, middle and end of the 

feeding alley after discharge. Triplicate samples of the diet were collected for chemical 

composition analyses (moisture, CP, Ash, EE, NDF and ADF) and for PSD evaluation (Heinrichs 

and Kononoff, 2002) over two months (two sampling/week). Statistical analysis was performed 

by a PROC MIXED for repeated measurements of SAS (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, 2015). MT1 

evidenced a non-uniform distribution of moisture content along the feeding alley (P=0.05, 

Figure 1): lower moisture was found at the end of the feeding alley compared to the beginning 

and the middle (47.55 vs 51.13 and 51.00%, respectively; P<0.01). No significant effects of MTs 

were recorded for other chemical parameters. The PSD showed trend to a higher retained 

amount of fibre in MT1 upper sieve (14.79 vs. 10.14%; P=0.06), while lower amount of feed was 

found in middle and bottom sieve than MT2 (38.9 and 12.81 vs 42.17 and 14.32%, respectively; 

P=0.08 and P=0.06). Despite the trend for MT, MTxFA evidenced no significant differences for 

PSD. Day of sampling evidenced significant variation both in chemical and physical composition 

(P<0.05). Obtained preliminary data evidenced the influence of MTs on composition and on PSD 

of the provided diet; results suggest to daily measure moisture of raw material in order to avoid 

negative changes in dry matter intake.  

Acknowledgments: project co-funded in the framework of POR FESR Lombardia 2014-2020 (Axis 

I, Objective 1.b.1) 

 

 

 

Keywords 

Total mixed ration, Dairy cows, 

Mixing time, Mixing wagon, 

Particle size distribution.  

 
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR 

Vera Perricone 

vera.perricone@unimi.it 

 
JOURNAL HOME PAGE 

riviste.unimi.it/index.php/haf 

Chemical homogeneity and particle size 

distribution of dairy cow TMR along the 

feeding alley with different mixing 

times.  

V. Perricone1,*, A. Agazzi1, A. Costa1, M. Lazzari1, G. 

Savoini1, A. Calcante2, F.M. Tangorra1 

 

1 Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Università degli 
Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy. 

2 Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences - Production, 
Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 
20133 Milan, Italy. 

 

 

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Proceeding of Veterinary and Animal Science Days 2018, 6th- 8th June, Milan, Italy 68 

HAF © 2013 

Vol. V, No. 1s  ISSN: 2283-3927 

 

 

 

 

 

References 

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commercial dairy farms. Journal of dairy science. 97, 562–571.  

 

 

Figure 1:  Moisture content along the feeding alley by different mixing time. Different letters refer to 

significant differences between different mixing time for P≤0.05. 

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