Dr. P. Ravikanth Reddy discusses the importance of properly formulating animal rations to meet their nutritional requirements in a cost effective manner. Imbalanced feeding can result in low production, poor health, and lower profits for farmers. Properly formulated rations should be based on the animal's age, weight, function, and environmental conditions according to industry standards. The ration should contain a balanced mix of nutrients from various feedstuffs selected based on availability, price, and nutritional composition.

1. Dr. P. Ravikanth Reddy
MVSc, PhD
Guest Faculty
KBR College of Agriculture and Horticulture
Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University
Dr. YSR Horticulture University

2.  Formulating animal rations involves selecting and combining a number of
feedstuffs to meet the animal requirements at the lowest possible cost, for the most
economical level of production.
Computation of a ration requires –
 Knowledge on availability, price, and composition of feeds.
 Insight into the nutrient requirements of the animals

3. Imbalanced feeding results in
 Low milk production, poor growth and reproduction
 Milk production of animals lower than their genetic potential
 Shorter lactation length and longer calving intervals
 Animals more prone to metabolic disorders such as milk fever and ketosis
 Slow growth in young animals and delayed age at first calving
 Lower profit to farmers

4. Brought from Haryana

5. Formulate the feed according to age, weight, function, and
environmental conditions (BIS, NRC, ARC standards)
Formulate the ration based on various physiological states i.e.
maintenance, growth, gestation or lactation
Select suitable ingredients to help ensure that the ration is
nutritionally balanced, palatable, safe, and economical
Practical diet formulation should be flexible to accommodate
price and available feedstuffs.
In particular, minimum levels of NDF and ADF i.e., fibre are required to
ensure proper rumen function.

6. Diets should be balanced on an amino acid basis rather than on a
crude protein basis. Provides a more precise indication of adequacy.
Ration should meet the daily feed requirements & consumption
Should be aware of feed stuffs - raw materials, their nutrient
values and cost
Local availability of feed stuffs
Ration should be economical

7. Ration should meet the demand of the animal
Ration should have long shelf life
Method of computation results in the appropriateness of the
nutrient values
Well balanced ration and fed twice a day
Clean, digestible, palatable, nutritious and economic

8. Should invariably contain dry and green fodder and concentrates
Sudden change in the diet should be avoided
Vitamins, minerals and salt should be in appropriate levels
Fed according to their body need.
Should not be fed in less or in excess that is detrimental to their
health

9. Provide ad libitum clean and fresh drinking water
Ingredient should be purchased based on the nutrient quantity
for more specificity
Inclusion of limiting synthetic amino acids like Lysine and
Methionine in the feed may save the cost of protein.
Use of unconventional feed ingredients like mango seed kernel,
poultry feces etc to save the feed cost.
Feed for maximum profit and not for maximum production.