Ration Balancing Small Ruminant Webinar

Willie LantzExtension Educator – Garrett County

Ration – Feed fed to an animal in one day

Balanced RationFeed required to meet the animals nutritional requirements in one day

Balancing Rations will:

• Provide economical performance– Rate of Gain– Milk Production

• Prevent nutritional disorders• Maximize profits

Balancing Ration – Step 1

Gather DataWeight

Age

Stage of Gestation

Environmental Conditions

Weight Gain

Stage of Lactation

Milk Production

Level

Number Kids in

Gestation

Feeds to Use in Ration – Step 2

1. On Farm Feed Resources- Pasture, Hay, Grains

2. Locally Available Feeds- Transportation greatly affects costs of feeds

3. Costs of Feeds- Dry – Early Gestation animals sell

alfalfa hay purchase grass hay.

Determine When Critical Times to Balance Ration – Step 3

• Late Gestation– Last 60 days of pregnancy

• Early Lactation– First 60 days of lactation

• Late Lactation– 60 days post partum to weaning

• Early Finishing– First 60 -90 days after weaning

• Late Finishing– 90days post weaning to market

Ration Timing

• Matching Breeding Program to Market– Ration will be determined by nutritional needs of the female and

offspring to hit a certain market.• Late July Market Goat for County Fair• Does Kid in January – wean at 90-120 days

Feeding ProgramEarly Lactation – Jan to FebLate Lactation– March to AprilDry – Not Pregnant to Early Gestation – May to OctLate Gestation – Nov to DecEarly Growth (kids) – May to JuneLate Growth - July

Greatest Need Feed Hay & Grain

Least NeedPasture

Match Breeding to Feed Availability• Sell kids/lambs in fall• Kid and Lamb in late spring (April)• Does/Ewes and Kids/Lambs to pasture – May 1st

Feeding Program- Early Lactation – May – June- Late Lactation – July – August- Dry & Early Gestation – Sept to Feb.- Late Gestation – March – April- Early Growth – Sept to Oct- Late Growth – Nov to Dec

PastureGreatest Need

Least Need Feed Hay

Determine Animal Needs – Step 42007 NRC Small Ruminants

Montana State University http://www.msusheepration.montana.edu/default.aspxAlabama Cooperative Extension Montana State University http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0812/ANR-812tab1.htmlMaryland Small Ruminant Pagehttp://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets.html

As Fed versus Dry Matter Basis

• All feed have some moisture • AS FED = feed + moisture– Grains & Hay = 10-15% moisture – Silage = 40 – 70% moisture– Pasture = 80-90% moisture

Hay 5lbs X .85 DM X 9% CP = .38 lbs CPSilage 5lbs X .40 DM X 9% CP = .18 lbs CPPasture 5lbs X .15 DM X 9% CP = .07 lbs CP

Make sure you understand if you are looking at nutrient levels based

on Dry Matter or As Fed• Shelled Corn Dry Matter Basis = 9.0% CP• Shelled Corn AS Fed = 7.9% Crude ProteinHINT – If it list the %DM in a table it will be giving the nutrients in a 100% Dry Mater Basis

• Convert AS Fed X Dry Mater % = DM BasisMost Animal Requirement are Based on DM

Beginning to Balance Ration

Start with Dry Matter Intake (DMI)Animal Needed DMI/% Dry Matter

Ewe Needs 4.5 lbs DMIFeeding Hay

4.5lbs DMI / .85 (DM) = 5.3 lbs HayFeeding Silage

4.5 lbs DMI/ .45 (DM) = 10 lbs Silage

Balancing for Protein

Determine Animal Need for Crude Protein (CP)Ewe nursing twins – early lactation

Needs 4.5 lbs DMI .6 lbs CPHay 5.3 pounds X .08 (%CP DM) = .424 lbs CP

OR.6 lbs CP / .08 (%CP DM) = 7.5 lbs hay/.85%DM = 8.8 lbs Hay as fed needed to meet CP requirement Need to add a high protein feed stuff to ration

Ration Balancing Sheep

Montana State University Sheep Ration Balancinghttp://www.msusheepration.montana.edu/

Goat Ration Balancing

Langston University Nutrient Calculator (for goats): http://www.luresext.edu/goats/research/nutritionmodule1.htm

Calculating a Grain Mix

If your ration call for:1 pound of cracked corn.3 pounds of distillers grain.3 pounds of soybean oil

meal.5 pounds of Oats.02 pounds of limestone

2.12 pound of grain mix each day

Step 1Divide each ingredient by the total amount of feed per day. 1 lbs corn/2.12 = .47 .3 lbs Distillers/2.12 = .14 .3 lbs SBOM/2.12 = .14 .5 lbs Oats/2.12 = .23 .02lbs Limestone/2.12 = .009

Step 2Multiply by the total pounds of feed you would like made.1000 pounds of FeedCorn = .47 X 1000 = 470lbsDistillers = .14 X 1000 = 140lbsSBOM = .14 X 1000 = 140lbsOats = .23 X 1000 = 230lbsLimestone =.009 X 1000 = 9lbs

Calculating the Protein in your grain mix

Step 1Multiply Crude protein of each ingredient X the DM% and CP% for that ingredient.

Step 2Divide the total pounds of Crude Protein by the total pounds of feed

Corn = 470 pounds X .88 % DM X .09% CP = 37.2lbs CPDistillers = 140lbs X .91 % DM X .29% CP = 36.9lbs CPSBOM = 140lbs X .84 % DM X .54% CP = 63.5lbs CPOats = 230lbs X .89% DM X .13% CP = 26.6lbs CPLimestone = 0% CP 0.0lbs CP

TOTAL lbs CP 164.2lbs CP

164.2 pounds of Crude Protein / 1000 =

.164 or 16.4% Crude Protein

OR

Go to the Maryland Small Ruminant Page http://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets.html

Select “Ration Mixer”

Comparing Feed Costs

• Determine the cost per pound of protein or TDN• Cost per cwt/(100lbs X %DM X %CP)Distillers $13/(100 X .91%DM X .29%CP)=$.49/lb CPSBOM $18/(100 X .90%DM X .54%CP) = $.37/lb CPCompare protein feeds based on cost per pound of CP and Energy Feeds based on cost per pound of TDN

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets.htmlSelect “Comparison of Nutrient Costs”