bullman75574
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can anyboby explain how to use the dam thing thanks.
OSU feed calculator
- Thread starter bullman75574
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Texas PaPaw
Well-known member
Go to the OSU website, then from the left column download the instructions for the particular spreadsheet you are using. Haven't read them in a couple of years but they seemed pretty self explanitory to me. Each field that is in blue is a variable that you enter (feed ingredients, amounts fed, size /sex of animal, etc.) In order to get the price per pound of your mix you will need to go to the feed list page and enter your actual cost for each ingredient you want in the mix.
If you have more specific questions, I will try to answer them.
Here's the link to download the instructions http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/software/
Hope this is helpful.
If you have more specific questions, I will try to answer them.
Here's the link to download the instructions http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/software/
Hope this is helpful.
TexasBred
Well-known member
bullman75574":jz7vy35d said:
Bull...gotta have Excel to use it so I didn't even download it and look at it..I don't have Excel.
Patience- you will figure it out with time.
The first thing is to go to the feed list and update it-- the nutrients and $$$ for even common feedstuffs were not the same as what I needed for around here. The NEM and NEG figures are critical.The costs are for 100lbs AS IS. The ration maker is only as good as the figures you put in.
You can add your own ingredients to the list all the way up to 100
on the formulation page you put in the number(off the ingredient list page) of the ingredient you want to use- It will load all the figures
Then you figure out how much you might want to use of each ingredient
This is not the spot where you worry about accuracy- you just enter ball park figures then tweak them.
I just start out with 500 of what I think I will use the most of- then add 200 of the next and 100 the next and down the line.
Now you start tinkering with the numbers till you get what you want for nutrients and gain
Don't forget to pay attention to the Fat(4% or less to be safe) and the Ca
hos ration 2:1 and don't go below %40 DM-- all the others the program will red flag for you.
Down below you will see a spot to list the weight and estimated DRY MATTER consumption (full feed around 3%BW) It also gives you a place to fill in the type of animal(the list to choose from is off to the right)
To the side it will tell you what your results should be with that ration. Including the DM and actual lbs needed to be fed if using wet ingredients.
Then you go back and tweak the numbers and ingredients till you find the least cost mix that will give you the est gain you need.
Once you have what you think looks good click on the Mixing Tab
That is where you can see the ration as % as is and % DM (double check DM figures to make sure you don't go over optimum levels of ingredients and meet fiber needs)
At the top you enter how much you want to make in a load- and it will tell you lbs to add.
Again its only as good as the figures you use
You can also go to the nutrients tab- and find out what you are paying the most for (might be a good choice to go back and see if you can use less). And you can check to see if too much of the protein is all from a bypass source or if you have a good balance.
If you have too much of a mineral you can see where its coming from so you can recalculate and use less of that ingredient.
If you want to print a page Make sure you SELECT and only print the selected page- or it will print off EVERYTHING pages and pages.............
The first thing is to go to the feed list and update it-- the nutrients and $$$ for even common feedstuffs were not the same as what I needed for around here. The NEM and NEG figures are critical.The costs are for 100lbs AS IS. The ration maker is only as good as the figures you put in.
You can add your own ingredients to the list all the way up to 100
on the formulation page you put in the number(off the ingredient list page) of the ingredient you want to use- It will load all the figures
Then you figure out how much you might want to use of each ingredient
This is not the spot where you worry about accuracy- you just enter ball park figures then tweak them.
I just start out with 500 of what I think I will use the most of- then add 200 of the next and 100 the next and down the line.
Now you start tinkering with the numbers till you get what you want for nutrients and gain
Don't forget to pay attention to the Fat(4% or less to be safe) and the Ca
hos ration 2:1 and don't go below %40 DM-- all the others the program will red flag for you.Down below you will see a spot to list the weight and estimated DRY MATTER consumption (full feed around 3%BW) It also gives you a place to fill in the type of animal(the list to choose from is off to the right)
To the side it will tell you what your results should be with that ration. Including the DM and actual lbs needed to be fed if using wet ingredients.
Then you go back and tweak the numbers and ingredients till you find the least cost mix that will give you the est gain you need.
Once you have what you think looks good click on the Mixing Tab
That is where you can see the ration as % as is and % DM (double check DM figures to make sure you don't go over optimum levels of ingredients and meet fiber needs)
At the top you enter how much you want to make in a load- and it will tell you lbs to add.
Again its only as good as the figures you use
You can also go to the nutrients tab- and find out what you are paying the most for (might be a good choice to go back and see if you can use less). And you can check to see if too much of the protein is all from a bypass source or if you have a good balance.
If you have too much of a mineral you can see where its coming from so you can recalculate and use less of that ingredient.
If you want to print a page Make sure you SELECT and only print the selected page- or it will print off EVERYTHING pages and pages.............
TexasBred
Well-known member
If YOU put in the various nutrient densities just be sure you use the NRC standards and not some of these off the wall claims you see for some ingredients....sounds like something that might be fun to play with but definitely not a high quality ration balancer.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Howdyjabo":3i2gllud said:
If it's free you can't beat that price. :clap: but if your original premise is flawed then your results will always be flawed. Hopefully when this happens it tells you that you have an infeasible solution.
blacksnake
Well-known member
The University of Minnesota also has an excel based program that is free and is easy to use. Also has lots more info in it. Can use for cow maintenance or for growth animals.
If your figures are wrong it will all be wrong-- Took me a long time to tweak my figures to where I was satisfied.
But I am using byproducts that vary- I had to get a middle ground figure for everything.
I did alot of sample analysis es done to get reliable figures to use.
But I am using byproducts that vary- I had to get a middle ground figure for everything.
I did alot of sample analysis es done to get reliable figures to use.
dcara
Well-known member
TexasBred":23s5gvvo said:
If you don't have Excel, you can download Open Office for free from the internet. Open Office will read excel files
TexasBred
Well-known member
Howdyjabo":18bfz8af said:
Only problem with sampling commodities is that you often have to begin using them long before you get test results back. Better to just use the NRC standards for whatever the commodity is and go from there. A good test on your hay would be good since it should make up the largest portion on the ration but without testing and changing values every time you change hay cuttings, fields etc. you might as well just use the standard for th type grass hay or alfalfa hay being fed. Most tests don't give you the extensive nutrient densities that you need to really calculate NEm, NEg, NEL anyway to truly balance a ration... not to mention trace minerals that compliment or restrict other mineral utilization.
