Main Menu

About the Ration Calculator

This page contains the following helpful information for users of the BeefBasis Ration Calculator.

Purpose of the Ration Calculator

Find a ration that is both balanced, cost effective and produce the average daily gain needed can take a lot of time and effort. This tool helps the producer do these things. It also calculates the ration cost, quantities being fed, and the nutritional value each feed input adds to the total mix.

The feed list included in this ration has 166 feedstuffs, and each feedstuff has default nutritional values; however, a user with a feed report may change these values to reflect more accurately the feedstuffs nutritional value. To simplify things further, a user may save multiple rations for different lots of animals so they can come back later and review it.

Currently this tool does NOT figure a balanced ration for breeding, pregnant, or lactating animals and should only be used for animals that are being fed for weight gain.

This tool is for general use and should not replace your nutritionist.

Input Descriptions

Coming Soon!

Start Date

This is the expected date that you will start feeding your animals this ration. This is necessary to figure days on feed, cost per pound gain, expected sell date, etc.

Total Head

The total number of head this ration will feed. This is necessary for total costs, total feed consumed, etc.

Current Body Weight, lbs

This is the avg weight, in pounds, of the animals being fed. It is recommended that you reformulate a ration at least every 50 pounds of gain.

Expected Sell Weight, lbs

This is the weight at which you expect to sell your animals. This helps calculates the days on feed, sell date, etc.

Finished (Slaughter) Weight

Typical weight at which the animal is considered finished. The formulas are very sensitive to this input. For British breeds, this value should be around 1250 pounds.

Finished (Slaughter) Weight

Typical weight at which the animal is considered finished. The formulas are very sensitive to this input. For British breeds, this value should be around 1250 pounds.

Expected Endorsement Length, wks

LRP Endorsement length of your LRP policy. If you do not yet have a policy, you can leave blank and determine the LRP policy that will best fit your ration.

Average Daily Gain, lbs

The average daily weight gain in pounds an animal will achieve.

Days On Feed

The total days on feed the animal will be on. This value assumes a constant ADG and you will therefore need to reformulate the ration every 50 pounds or less of gain to achieve this.

Sell Date

Coming Soon!

Total Number of Weeks

Days on feed divided by 7. This value assumes a constant ADG and you will therefore need to reformulate the ration every 50 pounds or less of gain to achieve this.

Total Cost/head, $

Total feed cost of ration per day multiplied by the number of days.

Cost per Day, $

Cost of the ration per animal day (cost of one animal per day).

Cost per lb Gained, $

Cost of the ration per pound gained.

Ration Ingredients Descriptions

Feed

Feedstuff that is to be included in the ration.

As fed, lbs

Total amount of feedstuff fed to an animal daily.

Cost, $/unit

The cost of the feed per selling unit.

For example, if you are feeding $200 per ton hay, you would insert 200.

If you are feeding $5.00 per bushel corn, you would insert 5.00.

Weight, lbs/unit

This is the unit at which you purchased the feedstuff.

If you are feeding $xxx per ton hay, you would insert 2000 (1 ton = 2,000 lbs.).

If you are feeding $x.xx per bushel corn, you would insert 56 (1 bushel of corn = 56 lbs.).

Cost/day

Cost of feedstuff per animal day (1 animal per day).

DM, lbs

Total dry matter fed. Dry matter is defined as the part of a feedstuff or other substance which would remain if all its water content was removed.

Nutritional Contribution of Ingredient Descriptions

DM, %

Percentage of feedstuff that is dry matter. 1-DM,% indicates the moisture percentage of the feed.

NEm

Net energy, in mega calories, needed for maintenance.

NEg

Net energy, in mega calories, needed for growth.

Protein, lbs

Crude protein

Ca, lbs

Calcuim

P, lbs

Phosphorous

Vit A, IU

Vitamin A