About Feed Formulation
Feedsoft v3.1
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What is least-cost feed formulation?
In the not so distant
past, feed manufacturers used to balance
their feeds using hand calculations and
often relied on tedious trial and error
methods. The availability of commercial
computers by the end of the 1960s meant that
complex mathematical models could be solved
much more easily and within a short duration
of time. Twenty years later, the arrival of
the personal computer provided affordable
feed formulation solutions to the feed
industry. Advancements in computer
technology, mathematical modeling and animal
nutrition have resulted in vast improvements
in the last 20-25 years in the way feeds are
formulated.
Definition: Least-cost feed formulation
Least-cost feed formulation is combining
many feed ingredients in a certain
proportion to provide the target animal with
a balanced nutritional feed at the least
possible cost. Though least-cost formulation
is a mathematical solution based on linear
programming, it requires the professional
knowledge of animal nutritionists who take
into consideration the nutrient requirements
of the target animal and its capability to
digest and assimilate nutrients from various
available ingredients. Feed formulators also
need to be aware of the variations of
nutritional requirements for different
species at various stages of their lifespan.
The linear programming performs what is
designed to do and it is based on the
information put in by the formulator.
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