Ration Balancing
Small Ruminant Webinar
Willie Lantz
Extension Educator – Garrett County

Ration – Feed fed to an
animal in one day
Balanced Ration
Feed 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
Environmental
Conditions
Gather Data
Weight
Stage of
Age Lactation
Number
Kids in
Gestation
Milk
Production
Level
Weight
Gain
Stage of
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 Program
Greatest Need
Early Lactation – Jan to Feb
Late Lactation– March to April
Least Need Dry – Not Pregnant to Early Gestation – May to Oct
Late Gestation – Nov to Dec
Early Growth (kids) – May to June
Late Growth - July

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
Greatest Need - Early Lactation – May – June
- Late Lactation – July – August
Least Need - Dry & Early Gestation – Sept to Feb.
Feed Hay
- Late Gestation – March – April
- Early Growth – Sept to Oct
- Late Growth – Nov to Dec

Determine Animal Needs – Step 4
2007 NRC Small Ruminants
Montana State University
http://www.msusheepration.montana.edu/default.
aspx
Alabama Cooperative Extension Montana State
University
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0812/ANR-
812tab1.html
Maryland Small Ruminant Page
http://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 CP
Silage 5lbs X .40 DM X 9% CP = .18 lbs CP
Pasture 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 Protein
HINT – 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 Basis
Most 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 DMI
Feeding Hay
4.5lbs DMI / .85 (DM) = 5.3 lbs Hay
Feeding 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 CP
Hay 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
Balancing
http://www.msusheepration.montana.edu/

Goat Ration Balancing
Langston University Nutrient Calculator (for
goats):
http://www.luresext.edu/goats/research/nutriti
onmodule1.htm

Calculating a Grain Mix
Step 1
Divide each ingredient by the
If your ration call for: total amount of feed per day.
1 lbs corn/2.12 = .47
1 pound of cracked corn .3 lbs Distillers/2.12 = .14
.3 lbs SBOM/2.12 = .14
.3 pounds of distillers grain .5 lbs Oats/2.12 = .23
.02lbs Limestone/2.12 = .009
.3 pounds of soybean oil meal
.5 pounds of Oats Step 2
Multiply by the total pounds
.02 pounds of limestone of feed you would like made.
2.12 pound of grain mix each day 1000 pounds of Feed
Corn = .47 X 1000 = 470lbs
Distillers = .14 X 1000 = 140lbs
SBOM = .14 X 1000 = 140lbs
Oats = .23 X 1000 = 230lbs
Limestone =.009 X 1000 = 9lbs

Calculating the Protein in your grain mix
Corn = 470 pounds X .88 % DM X .09% CP = 37.2lbs CP
Step 1 Distillers = 140lbs X .91 % DM X .29% CP = 36.9lbs CP
Multiply Crude protein of SBOM = 140lbs X .84 % DM X .54% CP = 63.5lbs CP
each ingredient X the Oats = 230lbs X .89% DM X .13% CP = 26.6lbs CP
DM% and CP% for that Limestone = 0% CP 0.0lbs CP
TOTAL lbs CP 164.2lbs CP
ingredient.
Step 2 164.2 pounds of Crude Protein / 1000 =
Divide the total pounds of .164 or 16.4% Crude Protein
Crude Protein by the total
pounds of feed
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 CP
SBOM $18/(100 X .90%DM X .54%CP) = $.37/lb CP
Compare protein feeds based on cost per pound of CP and
Energy Feeds based on cost per pound of TDN
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets.html
Select “Comparison of Nutrient Costs”