Small things that make a big difference.

Milk is mostly water. Keep clean water in front of the animals all day, not only at feeding time. Clean the trough every day; animals drink less from dirty water. In summer they need much more.

Give extra TMR-E a day: +1 kg in the first third of pregnancy, +2 kg in the middle third and +3 kg in the last third (cow: months 1–3, 4–6, 7–9; buffalo: 1–3, 4–7, 8–10). This is the same whether she is giving milk or dry. Mark the animal as pregnant in your Feed Plan and it adds this for you.

Sprinkle the sachet over her feed. A cow giving up to 10 litres a day: 1 sachet a day. More than 10 litres: 2 sachets, one with the morning feed and one in the evening. A buffalo giving up to 4 litres: 1 sachet; more: 2.

Sheep and goats are fed by body weight: 5% a day for fattening, 3.5% for breeding (TMR-E only). Weigh 2–3 typical animals every two weeks and update the weight in your Feed Plan; as they grow, they need more.

Keep bags in a dry, shaded place, off the floor on pallets or planks, away from walls. Close an opened bag tightly and use it within about a week. Never feed feed that smells sour or has mould.

A cow gives more milk when she eats enough balanced feed, drinks clean water all day, and stays cool and healthy. Feed her for the milk she gives, not the same amount for every cow. No powder or injection can make up for an empty stomach.

1. Give enough feed, and the right feed

Many cows are simply underfed, or every cow gets the same amount whether she gives 5 litres or 15. A milking cow needs two parts in her daily feed:

• Upkeep: what keeps her body going. With plenty of green fodder, about 24–25 kg of green fodder a day. With only dry fodder, 8–9 kg of dry fodder. With no fodder at all, 7–8 kg of complete feed.
• Milk: about 0.8 kg of Truemeal TMR-E complete feed for every litre she gives, on top of her upkeep. A cow giving 10 litres needs about 8 kg for her milk.

These amounts are for TMR-E. Another feed has its own amounts, so follow what its bag says.

Feed also needs balance: energy (grains), protein (oil cakes and meals), fibre (fodder) and minerals. Too much of one and too little of another holds milk back. A complete feed brings all four mixed together, so the cow cannot pick out only what she likes.

Make my free Feed Plan — it does these sums for every cow on your farm.

2. Clean water, all day

Milk is mostly water. A cow that cannot drink when she wants gives less milk. Keep clean water in front of her all day, clean the trough every day, and give more in summer. Read more: Clean water, always.

3. Change feed slowly

A sudden change of feed upsets the stomach, and milk can drop for days. Move to any new feed over a week: Switch to TMR feed over a week.

4. Keep her cool and comfortable

Heat cuts milk. In summer give shade and moving air, and sprinkle or wash the cows in the hottest hours. Give a dry, clean floor and room to lie down. A cow lying down and chewing the cud is a cow making milk.

5. Milk at the same times, and milk out fully

Milk at the same times every day, calmly, by the same person if you can. Milk out completely: the last milk out of the udder is the richest in fat. Noise, beating or a rushed milking can hold milk back.

6. Watch her health

• Udder hard, hot or swollen, or clots in the milk: this can be mastitis. Call your vet early.
• Worms and ticks: deworm and treat as your vet advises.
• Vaccinations such as FMD (foot-and-mouth disease): on time, as your vet or the animal husbandry department advises.
• Not eating, fever, or a sudden fall in milk: call your vet.

7. Care before and after calving

How much milk she gives in a whole lactation depends a lot on the weeks around calving. In pregnancy, give extra feed a day: +1 kg in months 1–3, +2 kg in months 4–6 and +3 kg in months 7–9. Read: Feeding a pregnant cow or buffalo. Give her a dry rest before she calves; about two months is the usual advice. After calving, raise her feed step by step as her milk rises. If your cows have had milk fever before, ask your vet what to do before the next calving.

8. Know her limit

Every cow has a limit set by her breed and age. A local cow will not give as much milk as an HF cow, however well she is fed. Good feeding brings her close to her own best.

Does Milk Booster help?

Milk Booster is a sachet you sprinkle on her feed: 1 sachet a day for a cow giving up to 10 litres, 2 sachets above that. In our farm trials, milk started rising around day 7. It works on top of good feeding, not in place of it. See Milk Booster.

What not to do

Do not use injections, hormones or "milk powders" from unknown sellers to push milk up. Some are not allowed by law and can harm the cow. When milk falls, look for the cause first — feed, water, heat or health — and call your vet when you are not sure.

A buffalo gives more milk when she gets her upkeep feed plus extra feed for every litre, plenty of water, and a way to stay cool. Buffaloes feel heat more than cows, so in summer cooling matters as much as feed. Heat signs and calving on time matter too.

1. Feed for her milk

A buffalo needs more feed per litre than a cow, because buffalo milk is richer in fat and solids. Her daily feed has two parts:

• Upkeep: with plenty of green fodder, about 28–30 kg of green fodder a day. With only dry fodder, 9–10 kg of dry fodder. With some of both, about 14–15 kg green plus 4–5 kg dry. With no fodder at all, 8–9 kg of complete feed.
• Milk: about 1.25 kg of Truemeal TMR-E complete feed for every litre she gives, on top of her upkeep.

Example: a buffalo giving 6 litres, with some green and some dry fodder, needs about 14–15 kg green and 4–5 kg dry fodder for upkeep, plus about 7.5 kg of TMR-E for her milk (6 × 1.25).

These amounts are for TMR-E. Another feed has its own amounts, so follow what its bag says. Whatever you feed, it needs energy, protein, fibre and minerals in balance. A feed mixed at home changes from day to day; a complete feed is the same in every bite.

Make my free Feed Plan — enter your buffaloes and your fodder, and it works out kg a day, bags a month and the cost.

2. Water and cooling

Buffaloes have dark skin and few sweat glands, so they get hot quickly. A hot buffalo eats less and gives less milk. In summer:

• Let her wallow in clean water, or splash or shower her two or three times in the hot hours.
• Give a roof or tree shade with moving air.
• Keep clean, cool water in front of her all day.
• Feed more in the cooler morning and evening.

3. Change feed slowly

Change any feed over a week, a little more of the new feed each day. A sudden change can upset the stomach and drop milk. Read: Switch to TMR feed over a week.

4. Calm, regular milking

Milk at the same times each day, by the same person if you can. Many buffaloes let down milk better with their calf close by. Milk out fully: the last milk is the richest in fat.

5. Watch for heat, and get her pregnant on time

Buffaloes often show heat quietly, sometimes only at night or early morning. If you miss it, months pass without milk and without a calf. Watch her closely, keep a note of dates, and ask your vet or AI worker if she has not come into heat after calving.

6. Feeding in pregnancy

Give extra feed a day: +1 kg in months 1–3, +2 kg in months 4–7 and +3 kg in months 8–10. This is the same whether she is giving milk or dry. Read: Feeding a pregnant cow or buffalo.

7. Health

• Udder hard, hot or swollen, or clots in the milk: call your vet early.
• Deworm calves and adults as your vet advises.
• Vaccinations such as FMD and HS (haemorrhagic septicaemia), on time, as your vet advises.
• Not eating, fever, or a sudden fall in milk: call your vet.

Does Milk Booster help?

Milk Booster is a sachet sprinkled on her feed: 1 sachet a day for a buffalo giving up to 4 litres, 2 sachets above that. It works on top of good feeding, not in place of it. See Milk Booster.

What not to do

Do not use injections or powders from unknown sellers to push milk up. Some are not allowed by law and can harm her. Every buffalo has a limit set by breed and age; a well-fed local buffalo gets close to her best, but will not give as much as a good Murrah. For buffalo fat, read How to increase fat and SNF in milk.

Milk fat goes up when the animal gets enough fibre from fodder and is milked out fully. SNF goes up when she gets enough energy and protein and stays healthy. There is no safe powder you can add to the milk. Better fat and SNF come from the feed, the animal and the milking.

What are fat and SNF?

Fat is the cream in the milk. SNF means "solids-not-fat": the protein, milk sugar and minerals in milk. Most dairies test both and pay by them, so a small rise in fat or SNF can raise your price for every litre. Check your dairy's rate chart to see how much each point is worth.

Why fat is low

• Too little fodder. Fat is made from the fibre in green and dry fodder. A diet with too much grain or concentrate and too little fodder gives low fat.
• Too much grain at one time. A big meal of grain upsets the stomach and lowers fat. Give the day's feed in two or three meals.
• Milking not complete. The last milk out of the udder has the most fat. Stopping early leaves it behind.
• Peak milk. Fat is usually lowest when a cow gives the most milk, and rises later in lactation.
• Heat. In hot weather animals eat less fodder, and fat falls.
• Breed. HF cows usually give lower fat than Jersey, local cows or buffaloes.

Why SNF is low

• Too little feed for the milk she gives, mostly energy and protein. This is common in early lactation, when milk rises faster than she can eat.
• Udder infection (mastitis), even when you cannot see it. Your vet can test the milk.
• Heat stress and long hours without water.
• Water added to milk lowers SNF straight away, and dairies test for it.

What to do

• Feed fodder every day, and feed for the milk she gives. Cow: about 0.8 kg of Truemeal TMR-E complete feed for every litre on top of her upkeep. Buffalo: about 1.25 kg a litre.
• Keep the feed balanced: energy, protein, fibre and minerals together. TMR-E has fibre (NDF) of at least 35% and protein of at least 16%, mixed the same in every bite.
• Change feed slowly, over a week: Switch to TMR feed over a week.
• Milk at the same times, calmly, and milk out fully.
• Keep animals cool and give clean water all day.
• Check the udder at every milking. Call your vet if you see clots, swelling or heat.

Keep your dairy slips

Write down the fat and SNF on your dairy slip each week. When you change feed, give it three to four weeks before you judge. Change one thing at a time, so you know what worked.

What results can you expect?

On our own farm records, farmers feeding TMR-E saw up to 10% higher milk solids (fat + SNF). Results vary with the animals, fodder and care. Milk Booster can go on top of good feeding for more milk; it does not replace fodder or feed. See Milk Booster.

Never add anything to milk

You will see "milk fat increase" chemicals and powders for sale. Adding anything to milk is adulteration. It is against the law, it can make people ill, and dairy tests can find it. Raise fat and SNF only through feed, health and milking.

Make my free Feed Plan — it shows how much to feed each animal, and your feed cost for every litre of milk.

Goats and sheep gain weight when they eat enough balanced feed for their body weight, drink clean water and are free of worms. For fattening, give Truemeal TMR-E complete feed at 5% of body weight a day on its own, or 3% with green fodder at 6%. Weigh a few animals every two weeks and feed more as they grow.

How much to feed

Sheep and goats are fed by body weight, not by guess.

• Fattening, complete feed only: 5% of body weight a day. A 20 kg goat eats about 1 kg a day.
• Fattening, with green fodder: 3% complete feed plus 6% green fodder. A 20 kg goat eats about 0.6 kg of feed and 1.2 kg of green fodder.
• Breeding animals, complete feed only: 3.5% of body weight a day.
• Breeding animals, with green fodder: 2% complete feed plus 6% green fodder.

These amounts are for Truemeal's complete feed. Another feed has its own amounts, so follow what its bag says.

Example: 10 lambs of 25 kg for fattening eat about 12.5 kg a day on complete feed alone. That is about 15 bags of 25 kg a month.

Make my free Feed Plan — enter your flock and their weight, and it works out kg a day, bags a month and the cost.

Weigh, don't guess

Weigh 2–3 typical animals every two weeks. As they grow, they need more feed. Update the weight in your Feed Plan and it changes the amounts. Read: Weigh a few, feed them all right.

Before you start fattening

• Deworm the animals first, as your vet advises. Worms eat the feed you pay for.
• Vaccinate on time, for example against PPR and enterotoxaemia, as your vet or the animal husbandry department advises.
• Choose young, healthy, active animals. A sick or very old animal will not gain well, whatever you feed it.
• Keep new animals apart for a couple of weeks before they join the flock.

Start slowly

Do not give a full ration of a new feed on day one. Too much rich feed at once can cause bloat or a sour stomach, which can kill sheep and goats. Move to the new feed over a week, a little more each day: Switch to TMR feed over a week. Give the day's feed in two or three meals.

Water, shade and space

• Clean water always, and more in summer. An animal that drinks less eats less.
• Shade and a dry, clean shed. Wet floors bring foot problems.
• Do not crowd them. Weak animals get pushed away from the feed. Give enough trough space for all to eat at once.

Plan for the market

Many farmers fatten for festival markets such as Bakrid, Sankranti or Dasara, when prices are higher. Count back from the date: decide how many weeks of feeding you need, and buy feed in time.

What results can you expect?

On our own farm records, sheep and goats on TMR-E gained up to 6 kg in total. Results vary with the breed, age, fodder and care.

When to call the vet

An animal that stops eating, has a swollen belly, diarrhoea, a cough or a high temperature needs your vet, not more feed. Do not use weight-gain tonics or injections from unknown sellers.

Order TMR-E or find a shop near you on Where to Buy.

The best cattle feed for milk is the one that gives you the most milk for your money while your animals stay healthy. Judge a feed by the cost of each litre of milk it helps you make, not by the price of the bag. Read the bag, check that the feed is the same every time, and try it fairly before you decide.

1. Read the bag

A good bag tells you what you are buying. Look for:

• The name and address of the company that made it.
• A feed licence number or quality mark.
• The batch number and the date it was made, and a use-by date.
• The net weight and the MRP.
• What is in it: at least protein, fat, fibre and moisture, and ideally energy, calcium and phosphorus.
• Clear feeding instructions: how much a day, for which animal.

If a bag does not say what is in it or who made it, ask why before you buy.

2. Look for balance, not one big number

A high protein number alone does not make a good feed. A milking animal needs energy (grains), protein (oil cakes and meals), fibre (fodder) and minerals together. Too little fibre lowers milk fat. Too little energy lowers milk and SNF. Ask your vet or nutrition advisor whether the feed suits the fodder you have.

3. Count the cost per litre of milk

A cheap bag can be costly if you must feed more of it, or if milk drops. A dearer bag can be cheaper if each litre costs you less. Work it out like this:

• Write the kg of feed you give each day, and the price per kg.
• Multiply: that is your feed cost a day.
• Divide by the litres of milk you sell that day.
• The answer is your feed cost per litre. Compare that number between feeds.

Also compare like with like. Bags come in 25, 50 or 70 kg, so compare the price per kg. A complete feed (also called TMR feed) has fodder and some moisture already mixed in, and it replaces part of the fodder you would buy. A concentrate does not. So compare what you spend on the whole day's feeding, not only one bag against another.

Make my free Feed Plan — it shows your feed cost per litre of milk.

4. Same every time

Animals do best when their feed does not change. Ask the seller how the feed is checked and how often. A feed that smells, looks or feels different from one bag to the next is a warning sign.

5. Fresh stock

• Check the date it was made. Fresher is better.
• Do not buy bags that are torn, wet, lumpy, or smell sour or mouldy.
• See how the shop stores bags: dry, in the shade, off the floor.
• At home, store bags the same way. Read: Keep your bags fresh.

6. Supply and help

A feed is only useful if you can get it every week, at a fair price, close to you. Ask about delivery, the nearest dealer, and who to call when you have a feeding question.

7. Try it fairly

• Change over slowly, across a week: Switch to TMR feed over a week.
• Feed it for three to four weeks before you judge.
• Keep notes: litres a day, fat and SNF from your dairy slip, how well the animals eat and their body condition.
• Change one thing at a time, so you know what made the difference.

Where Truemeal fits

Truemeal TMR-E is a complete feed in 25 kg bags for cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats. Its nutrient table and feeding instructions are on the TMR-E page. Use the same checklist on it as on any other feed.