This document discusses balancing rations for small ruminants like sheep and goats. It explains that a balanced ration provides animals with their daily nutritional requirements in a cost effective way. The key steps to balancing a ration are gathering data on the animals, determining local feed resources, identifying critical feeding times, and calculating animal nutrient needs. The document provides tools and resources for determining feed dry matter and protein content to create a balanced ration mix.

1. 2/10/2012
Ration Balancing
Ration Balancing
Small Ruminant Webinar
Willie Lantz
Extension Educator – Garrett County
Ration – Feed fed to an
animal in one day
i li d
Balanced Ration
Feed required to meet the
animals nutritional
animals nutritional
requirements in one day
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2. 2/10/2012
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
Milk
Production
Level
Weight
Gain
Stage of
Gestation
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3. 2/10/2012
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
‐D
Dry – E l G t ti
Early Gestation animals sell
i l ll
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
• E l Fi i hi
Early Finishing
– First 60 ‐90 days after weaning
• Late Finishing
– 90days post weaning to market
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4. 2/10/2012
Ration Timing
• Matching Breeding Program to Market
– Ration will be determined by nutritional needs of the female
y
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
Least Need Dry Not Pregnant to Early Gestation May to Oct
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
‐ Early Lactation – May – June
Greatest Need
‐ Late Lactation – July – August
Least Need ‐ Dry & Early Gestation – Sept to Feb.
Feed Hay
y
‐ L t G t ti
Late Gestation – M h A il
March – April
‐ Early Growth – Sept to Oct
‐ Late Growth – Nov to Dec
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Determine Animal Needs – Step 4
2007 NRC Small Ruminants
Montana State University
http://www.msusheepration.montana.edu/default.
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
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
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
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6. 2/10/2012
Make sure you understand if you
are looking at nutrient levels based
on Dry Matter or As Fed
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
A i l N d d DMI/% D M tt
Ewe Needs 4.5 lbs DMI
Feeding Hay
4.5lbs DMI / .85 (DM) = 5.3 lbs
4 5lbs DMI / 85 (DM) = 5 3 lbs Hay
Feeding Silage
4.5 lbs DMI/ .45 (DM) = 10 lbs Silage
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7. 2/10/2012
Balancing for Protein
Determine Animal Need for Crude Protein (CP)
Ewe nursing twins – early lactation
E i t i l l t ti
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 =
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
B l i
http://www.msusheepration.montana.edu/
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8. 2/10/2012
Goat Ration Balancing
Langston University Nutrient Calculator (for
goats):
t)
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 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
p
.02 pounds of limestone of feed you would like made.
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
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9. 2/10/2012
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
M lti l C d t i f SBOM = 140lbs X .84 % DM X .54% CP = 63.5lbs CP
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
i id h l d f .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”
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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”
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