Pay attention to the units in the formulation!

Animal feed formulation is a complex process aimed at creating balanced rations that meet the specific nutritional needs of animals. The use of specialized software has greatly facilitated this task, allowing nutritionists and feed manufacturers to manage vast databases of ingredients and calculate precise formulations. However, the effectiveness and reliability of this software depends entirely on the quality of the data entered, and an often underestimated but critically important aspect is strict adherence to units of measurement.

Why are units so important?

In the field of animal nutrition, the nutritional values ​​of ingredients (proteins, fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc.) are expressed in various units: percentages, grams per kilogram, international units per kilogram, milligrams per ton, etc. A premix, for example, contains high concentrations of nutrients that are then diluted in the final ration. If the units of these values ​​are not correctly entered into the formulation software, the consequences can be disastrous:

• Ration calculation errors: Inconsistent units can lead to incorrect calculations of the required ingredient quantities. For example, if a vitamin is entered in milligrams per kilogram when the software expects grams per ton, the amount added to the ration will be incorrect, leading to deficiencies or excesses.
• Impact on animal health and performance: Poorly balanced rations can have adverse effects on animal health (metabolic diseases, growth problems, etc.) and performance (reduced egg production, insufficient weight gain, etc.).
• Economic Losses: Formulation errors can result in overdosing of expensive ingredients, unnecessarily increasing production costs, or underdosing, requiring subsequent adjustments or production losses.
• Regulatory non-compliance: Many countries have strict regulations regarding the composition of animal feed. Incorrect unit information can lead to non-compliance and penalties.

Common Problems and Solutions

Unit errors often occur due to:

• Incorrect manual entry: A simple typo or misinterpretation of the unit when manually entering data. Very often, amino acids listed as % on a premix label will be entered as is in the Feed Access software when they should be entered in g/kg. To convert from % to g/kg, simply multiply the value expressed as % by 10 (example: 9% lysine gives 90g/kg lysine).
• Confusion between total values ​​and digestible or available values: Most of the time, amino acid or phosphorus values ​​are given as total values ​​on premix labels. While we can consider that approximately 100% of the synthetic amino acid value is digestible, this is not the case for phosphorus. The simplest solution to obtain the value of available phosphorus for poultry, or digestible phosphorus for pigs, is to ask directly from the manufacturer. Otherwise, based on the type of phosphorus source used in the premix (dicalcium phosphorus, monocalcium phosphorus, etc.), it is possible to determine these values. We will probably make a specific point on this subject in a future webinar.
• Lack of verification: The absence of procedures for verifying data before its integration into the software.

To avoid these problems, it is therefore imperative to:

•Pay attention to the units used in the formulation software: Establish a clear unit conversion procedure for all nutritional data used in the software.

•Train staff: Ensure that all staff involved in data entry are trained on units of measurement and their importance.

•Cross-checking: Compare entered data with certificates of analysis from suppliers or other reliable sources.

Conclusion

Adherence to the correct units of measurement when entering the nutritional values ​​of a premix or raw material is a fundamental pillar of animal feed formulation. It guarantees accuracy, safety, and economic efficiency. Meticulous attention to this seemingly minor detail can mean the difference between successful animal production and costly and potentially dangerous problems. Formulation software is a powerful tool, but its power can only be fully harnessed with impeccable input data.