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Dairy Ration Formulation and Evaluation Program for Microcomputers¹

School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square 19348

ABSTRACT

An interactive ration evaluation and formulation computer program for lactating and nonlactating dairy cows was developed using electronic spreadsheet software (Lotus 123). The program has five subunits: 1) a nutrient requirement section; 2) a feed bank section that stores nutrient composition of available feeds; 3) a computational section where rations are evaluated or formulated; 4) a feeding recipe section, which displays or prints grain mix, mineral mix, total mixed ration, or stanchion barn feeding recommendations; and 5) a comparative economic evaluator, which ranks feeds by a nutritional cost and benefit algorithm. Up to 12 fixed feed ingredients are able to be selected by the operator from a bank of up to 100 feeds on the basis of evaluation, farm availability, and nutrient constraints. Selected variable ingredients are used to balance the ration for dry matter, net energy, crude protein, bypass protein, and acid detergent fiber. Calcium and phosphorus are balanced using a combination of mineral sources. Trace mineral mixes may be either custom formulated or selected from a bank of proprietary supplements on the basis of limiting trace elements in the ration. Individualized farm data storage and retrieval capability facilitates regular nutritional monitoring and reformulation procedures.

¹ The development of this computer program was supported in part by ALPO Petfoods, Inc., Allentown PA, the US Department of Agriculture (Section 1433), the University of Pennsylvania IBM Threshold Grant, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.