Animal diets are formulated to meet animal requirements based on the nutrient contents of the feedstuffs available. Although diets are usually formulated on a dry matter (DM) basis, the mixing sheets used on the farm often list the feeds according to the pounds of wet feed, or "as fed," that need to be mixed together to create the correct diet. If the moisture content of a feed changes (for instance, because it rained on exposed silage), the actual dry matter of that specific feed included in the diet will also change. If changes in moisture are not accounted for, the proportion of feeds in the diet will not be correct, and changes in the concentrations of nutrients in the diet will occur. Adjusting feeds for DM assists in preventing over- or underfeeding and will help to ensure that animals are getting the correct amount of nutrients.
Additional information on determining the DM content of feeds on farm can be found at:
On-Farm DM Determination
Author: Tamilee Nennich, Texas A&M University
