Rumen8 is a tool that allows for the specification of Total Mixed Rations (TMRs) for dairy cattle using available feedstuffs. It can be used by enterprising youth and producers of dairy rations to compound nutritionally balanced rations. The tool is freely available online and compatible with laptops. It contains information on over 230 tropical feedstuffs and provides an easy-to-use interface with traffic light indicators to identify nutrients that have met or require attention in formulated rations. Rumen8 is widely used in developed dairy contexts and has been adapted for the smallholder settings in Kenya. The tool helps address the prevalent problem of nutrient underfeeding in livestock by optimizing ration formulation at the farm level

1. Maziwa Zaidi (More Milk) in Tanzania: Best-bet
Technologies and Innovations
Rumen8 a tool to specify Total Mixed Rations for dairy cattle
Solomon Mwendia, Uwe Ohmstedt and Michael Peters
Key messages and solutions
• Unbalanced feeds for cows is prevalent leading to
low productivity.
• Allowing cows access to adequate nutrients is key to
exploit animal production potential
• Rumen8 allows nutrient rationing for cows using
available feedstuffs
Opportunities and benefits
• The tool can be used by enterprising youth so long as they have
some knowledge on animal nutrition
• The tool is downloadable free of charge, and easily installed in
laptops
• Producers of dairy rations can use it to compound dairy rations
• The tool is versatile with up to 230 feedstuff options, relevant for
tropical context and is under continued improvement as
knowledge is built up on forages
Pictures
Suitability
• Ideal for enterprising youth and producers of dairy rations
• Ideal for animal health assistants with knowledge of animal
nutrition and animal feedstuffs
• Could also fit well with AI providers who could give the service to
the dairy keepers at the farm level
• Dairy cooperatives could engage a youth with the knowledge to
provide the service to the members
Evidence
• Rumen8 is widely used in countries with developed
dairy production- Australia
• Through SNV-Kenya the tool had been improved to
include tropical feedstuffs, fitting smallholder dairy
context
• The tool can be used to compound TMRs using
available feedstuffs, at minimum cost and at set
production levels
• The tool uses traffic lights, easily to identify when a
level of a nutrient requirement had been met, while
highlighting those requiring attention
This document has a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. October 2019
March 2017
Problem statement
• Low livestock productivity if often due to nutrient
under-feeding
• Limited tools exist to optimally ration feeds at farm
level and to best combine available feedstuffs
Maziwa Zaidi thanks all donors and organizations which globally support the work of ILRI and its partners through their contributions to the CGIAR system