Proceedings of the 1st International Technology, Education and Environment Conference

(c) African Society for Scientific Research (ASSR)

EXCEL FEED FORMULATION AND FEEDING MODELS

F.B. Onwurah

Federal College of Education (Technical),Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Email: onwurahben@yahoo.co.uk

Abstract
A feed formulation model has been developed using Microsoft excel package. This excel – assisted feed
formulation model has been developed by use of simple arithmetics. It is user-friendly and does not require complex or
repeated calculations at different levels, or when feed ingredients are changed. It only requires the cueing-in of ingredients
and their required quantities. This, on a click shows the new protein and energy levels. It therefore implies that, one
keeps adjusting the nutrient quantities until the required protein and energy levels are met. A feed management model
is also been developed. The model gives an extimate of feed requirements of birds at variuos ages. It extimates toatal
feed and cost of feed required, thus a least cost approach as it saves cost from feed wastage. These Microsoft excel –
asssisted packages are intended for presentation and criticisms for a possible software development.

Key words: Excel Assisted, Feed Formulation,Feed Management, User-Friendly, Ingredients,

Protein and Energy Levels.

INTRODUCTION
Feed formulation and feed management have been major concerns to poultry
nutritionists all over the world. These have resulted in the production of feed formulation feed
management softwares available for purchase and download from the internet. The available
methods of feed formulation such as Pearson’s square, modified Pearson’s square, substitution
methods and various computer models of least cost formulation – Stochastic, Linear and Stochilinear
programming models have serious limitations. Pearson’s square which is the simplest accommodates
only two ingredients, which made room for modified Pearson’s square. These allow for different
calculations at every level when feed ingredients are changed. The other methods are much more
sophiscated in feed formulation.
These excel - assisted models are much more easy to use and do not require calculations
at every step or when ingredients are changed, but that ingredients be cued-in only, and adjusted
until the required protein and energy levels are met, and that required information are also cued-in
for the required feed intake. This allows for prudence in the management of feed which attracts
between 70 and 80% of the total production cost. It is very much user-friendly and requires only
simple arithematics.
These models are intended for practical livestock farmers and teachers and students of animal
production and management in tetiary institutions.

Table 1: Feed
Formulation
% %
NUTRIENTS INCLUSION % CP CONT. ENERGY CONT.

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Guinea corn meal 0 0.1 0 33 0

Cashew seed meal 0 0.12 0 2 0
Bread fruit seed meal 0 0.12 0 2 0
Maize bran 0 0.1 0 9 0
Rice polishing 0 0.1 0 13 0
Rice 0 0.07 0 10 0
Sesame seed meal 0 0.42 0 11 0
Sunflower seed meal 0 0.42 0 11 0
Ipil ipil 0 0.2 0 9 0
Kidney beans 0 0.26 0 14 0
Chick peas 0 0.21 0 18 0
Potatoes 0 0.02 0 4 0
Mollasses 0 0.03 0 13 0
Millet 0 0.12 0 12 0
Wheat 0 0.18 0 15 0
Sorghum 0 0.1 0 14 0
Cotton seed meal 0 0.51 0 27 0
Poultry dropping 0 0.28 0 14 0
Jackbean meal 0 0.31 0 32 0
Feather meal 0 0.85 0 23 0
Maize cob 0 0.02 0 5 0
Citrus pulp 0 0.52 0 27 0
Cane mollases 0 0.03 0 23 0
Cassava leaf meal 0 0.14 0 0 0
Cassava peel meal 0 0.5 0 20 0
Cassava tuber 0 0.24 0 33 0
Rice bran 0 0.12 0 16 0
Blood meal 0 0.8 0 28 0
Palm kernel cake 0 0.18 0 87 0
Brewer's grain 0 0.26 0 25 0
Palm oil 0 0 0 94 0
Maize 0 0.1 0 34 0
Soybean 0 0.44 0 28 0
Groundnut 0 0.46 0 32 0
Fishmeal 0 0.61 0 18 0
Wheat bran 0 0.11 0 0 0
Bone meal 0 0 0
Premix 0 0
Salt 0 0
0

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(c) African Society for Scientific Research (ASSR)

TABLE 2: ILLUSTRATION
Maize 60 0.1 6 34 2040
Soybean 5 0.44 2.2 28 140
Groundnut 15 0.46 6.9 32 480
Fishmeal 5 0.61 3.05 18 90
Wheat bran 10 0.11 1.1 0 2750
Bone meal 3 19.25
Premix 1.5
Salt 0.5
100

FORMULAR CHECK

PEARSON'S SQUARE

10 20.4

44 13.6
34

CALCULATION

20.4/34 *100 = 60% MAIZE

100%

13.6/34 * 100 = 40% SOYBEAN

TABLE 3: FEED CONSUMPTION

D. AV. Kcal –
FEED NO OF WT. LV. GRTH SUST F. TDER F.I./ F.I./W
INTAKE BIRDS TO oC GAIN(g) WT. /D ENANCE EN (g) DAY(Kg) (Kg)
FOR
POULTRY

WEEK 1 200 30 0.3 1 5 104 2700 0.03852 7.70370 53.5295

WEEK 2 200 30 0.4 1.3 5 135.2 2700 0.05007 10.0148 70.1037
WEEK 3 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV
WEEK 4 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV
WEEK 5 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV

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(c) African Society for Scientific Research (ASSR)

WEEK 6 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV

WEEK 7 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV
WEEK 8 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV
WEEK 9 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV
WEEK 10 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV
WEEK 11 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV
WEEK 12 5 0 0 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV

FEED NO OF D. WT. AV. LV. AV.EGG LAYING Kcal - K

INTAKE BIRDS TEMPERATURE GAIN(g) WT. WT. RATE GROWTH/D L
FOR
LAYERS

WEEK 23 1000 30 4 1.6 58 80% 20 92

WEEK 24
WEEK 25
WEEK 26
WEEK
27
WEEK 28
WEEK 29
WEEK 30
WEEK
31
WEEK 32
WEEK 33
WEEK 34

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LIVESTOCK FEED PRODUCTION AND FEEDING MODELS

Farmers are often gifted technical innovators. The technology they develop is very useful
because it uses low-cost resources available on local farms. However, knowledge of these
innovations is often restricted to a small area. Although many valuable items of technology have
been developed by research institutions, they are often too expensive for small-scale farmers to be
able to adopt them. Labour-saving farming methods based on low-cost inputs which are locally
available are often more suitable for small farms than the technology developed on research stations,
and can make an important contribution to the sustainability of small farms in the region
(FFTC,2007).Livestock feed formulation models such as feeding trials and the Pearson’s square are
the simplest, but have the problem of long periods of trials and having only two ingredients
accommodation. The other methods are more relaible as they accommodate more than two
ingredients.

Ration (or feed) formulation does not merely involve mathematical calculations to meet
the requirement of the birds, since the result of the calculation may turn out to be impractical and
not ideal for feeding of poultry. An experienced Poultry nutritionist, therefore, needs to evaluate the
feed formulation before it can be given to the birds. Factors to be considered in making good feed
are:

1. Acceptability to the birds. The ration being formulated has to be palatable enough to stimulate
intake by the birds. Feed refused by the birds is worthless, since feed has to be consumed and
utilized.

2. Digestibility of the feed. The nutrients in the feed have to be digested and released into the
gastrointestinal tract to be utilized by the birds. Rations with high fiber content cannot be tolerated.

3. Cost of feed ingredients. The requirement of the birds can be met through several combinations
of feed ingredients. However, when the cost of these ingredients are considered, there can only be
one least-cost formulation. The least-cost ration should ensure that the requirements of the birds are
met.

4. Presence of anti-nutritional factors and toxins. The presence of anti-nutritional factors in the
feed, such as anti-trypsin factor in soybean meal, affects the digestion of some nutrients by making
them unavailable to the animal. Some feed ingredients may also contain toxic substances, which may
be detrimental to the animal when given in excessive amounts. The inclusion of these feed

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ingredients should therefore be limited or eliminated from the formulation. There are several
methods in formulating rations. All of them have the same objectives of providing the required
balanced nutrients at the least possible cost.

1. Trial-and-error Method. This is the most popular method of formulating rations for poultry. As
the name implies, the formulation is manipulated until the nutrient requirements of the birds are met.
This method makes possible the formulation of a ration that meets all the nutrient requirements.

2. Linear Programming (LP). This is a method of determining the least-cost combination of

ingredients using a series of mathematical equations. There are many possible solutions to each series
of equations, but when the factor of cost is applied, there can only be one least cost combination. An
electronic computer is capable of making thousands of calculations in a very short time. However,
the machine is incapable of correcting errors resulting from incorrect data and errors in setting up of
the program. Therefore, the resultant rations obtained from linear programming will be no better
than the information and values which are entered into the programming. Before using the LP
approach to ration formulation, the user should be familiar with the LP program or software package
to be used. Numerous companies market computer software for feed formulation. The software
varies from very simple and straight-forward to very complex packages intended for large feed
manufacturers. Examples of these softwares are Winfeed stochastic and linear programming feed
formulation (Mirza, 2004). Others include Myfeed and Autofeed.These approach requires:

1. Available feed ingredients. It is necessary that all the available ingredients are listed along with
the unit cost, as long as the number does not exceed some practical figure.

2. Nutrient composition of feed ingredients. Tables of feed composition using average or typical
values may be used but chemical analysis of a representative sample should be used if available.

3. Ration specifications. This generally represents the nutrient requirements and ingredient limits.
In each case, the formulator specifies either a lower limit and/or an upper limit for each item.

4. Information production. After providing all the necessary information, the computer produces
formular that will meet the desired specifications at the lowest possible cost. However, the formula
should be feasible, both from a mathematical standpoint and from a nutritional standpoint (Shouq,
2008). Many intensive livestock industries have since developed simulation models that can provide
optimum nutrient levels based on individual production conditions. Affordable computing
technology has also introduced concepts such as "least cost", "total amino acid" and even "profit
maximisation". Other popular concepts include digestible formulation, precision feeding, ideal
proteins and modelling, all of which have been adapted to some extent in livestock sectors
worldwide (Shapiro, 2008).

Excel Feed Formulation and Feeding Models

These models as developed requires:

1. Feed ingredints, their protein and energy contributions

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2. Manipulations of these ingredients which changes the protein and nergy levels as you click
(Table 1). The ingreient levels is the only thing the formulator should vary to get the
protein/energy lvels required.
3. Feed consumption model requires the formulator to input:

a. Number of birds housed

b. The environmental temperature
c. Daily/weekly weight gains, and
d. Feed energy level
e. Then, a click will give you the quantity of feed to be fed per day/week

This excel – assisted model has been developed to suite our environment and elsewhere
as the ingredients are drawn locally and from elsewhere. This allows for fleasibility in the use of
ingredients. It also allows any person that has access to a computer with excel package to formulate
his feed without additional cost. The cost of feed is also reduced as feed wastage can be avoided. The
farmers knows from this model what quantity of feed is required by the birds.

REFERENCES

Shouq, K.M., (2008). Least cost feed formulation for Poultry.Veterinary News and Views, Pakistan.

Food and Fertilizer Technology Centre (2007). Low cost technologies developed by Asian
farmers.

Mirza, Y.B., (2004) Winfeed 2.8. Winfeed (UK) LTD., Cambridge.

Shapiro, L.S., Feed formulation ingredients for change. Livestock farm e-book.

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