Glossary · Feed
Dry Matter Intake (DMI)
Pounds of dry matter a cow consumes per day. The single largest controllable driver of milk production on a dairy.
Dry matter intake (DMI) is the pounds of dry matter a cow consumes per day. It’s the single largest controllable driver of milk production on a dairy operation.
Typical DMI for a high-producing milking cow runs 50–60 lbs/day. DMI varies by parity (lactation number), days in milk, body condition, environmental temperature, and ration palatability — all of which interact.
The math behind why DMI matters:
- Milk production is roughly proportional to DMI.
- Anything that depresses intake — empty bunks, sorting, slug feeding, heat stress, lameness — directly reduces milk.
- Anything that increases intake at the same nutrient density — better forage quality, consistent delivery, frequent pushups — directly increases milk.
This is why bunk management is one of the highest-leverage interventions on a dairy. Penn State research shows 2x/day delivery adds +4.4 lbs of milk/cow/day over 1x/day. Wisconsin Extension shows 8+ pushups/day adds +8 lbs of milk/cow/day. Both work because they raise DMI.
DMI calculations should always be on a dry matter basis, not as-fed. A cow eating 100 lbs of corn silage as-fed at 35% DM is consuming 35 lbs DM — not 100 lbs of feed.