Calculating Least Cost Balanced Rations

Abstract

The first step in formulating a least cost balanced ration is to determine the requirements for the class of animals that you are trying to balance the ration. There are many references where this information can be found. An excellent reference is Applied Animal Nutrition by Crampton and Harris. This text includes tables which list the different feeds and the nutrient requirements for each class of livestock. If your client has, for example, 400 lb. steer feeder calves that he would like to grow at a pound and a half per head per day, then turn to the table on feedlot cattle and find the class and weight of livestock with this daily rate of gain.