Recent trends in field application of Korean beef total mixed ration

In the Korean beef industry, the spread of total mixed ration (TMR) is increasing to reduce feed costs and improve carcass quality. In the case of on-farm self-mixed TMR, feed costs per head were reduced by about 23% compared to farms feeding general purchased feed. The use of food by-products such as bread, noodles, and beer waste as raw materials for TMR is increasing. A feature of the TMR manufacturing process is the introduction of fermentation technology, which greatly helps in the storage of each raw materials and products and in improving the carcass performance of cattle. In addition, moisture addition heating technology has been introduced and is effective at increasing digestibility. For accurate nutritional formulation of TMR, the Korean beef TMR computer program provided by the National Institute of Animal Science is widely used. In the nutritional design sector, there is a tendency to increase nutritional content, especially protein content, to shorten the fattening period of Korean beef.