This document discusses balancing rations for small ruminants. Balancing rations ensures nutritional requirements are met in a cost effective way to maximize performance and profits. The key steps involve gathering data on animal needs based on factors like age, stage of production, and environmental conditions. Feeds are then selected based on availability and costs. Critical times like late gestation and early lactation when needs are highest are identified. Animal requirements are determined using resources like the NRC guidelines. Rations are then balanced to meet the identified protein and energy needs in a least cost manner. Software tools can help in calculating balanced rations.

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

2. Ration – Feed fed to an
animal in one day
Balanced Ration
Feed required to meet the
animals nutritional
requirements in one day

3. Balancing Rations will:
• Provide economical performance
– Rate of Gain
– Milk Production
• Prevent nutritional disorders
• Maximize profits

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Ration Balancing Sheep
Montana State University Sheep Ration
Balancing
http://www.msusheepration.montana.edu/

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

16. 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

17. 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

18. Go to the Maryland Small Ruminant Page
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/spreadsheets.html
Select “Ration Mixer”

19. 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”