By DEBORAH BEHRENDS
Illinois Correspondent

URBANA, Ill. — Cost of feeding the animals is by far the most expensive part of dairy and livestock production.

A new program called the “Cost of Feedstuffs Calculator” on the Farm Analysis Solution Tools (FAST) website at the University of Illinois can assist producers in comparing the different costs of feedstuffs. This tool can be located at www.farmdoc.illinois.edu/pubs/FASTtool_special_feedstuffs.asp

Historically the list of feedstuffs available to feed animals has been fairly constant (grain, forages and protein supplements). However, with the advent of the ethanol industry, and the further processing of grain, the co-products resulting from these processes has opened up a whole new area of feed sources, said Dave Seibert, U of I Extension animal systems educator.

“But it has been a challenge for producers to compare these different feedstuffs,” Seibert said.

Even though there are many feedstuffs available, it has been a challenge to compare feedstuffs as they can vary in dry matter, protein and energy. Creating a bigger problem is the same feedstuffs from different processing plants can vary in their nutrient value.

Also, with moisture ranging from dry 10-15 percent, up to moderate of 40-60 percent, and even some high-moisture products of 70-80 percent moisture, it is nearly impossible for producers to come up with the cheapest sources of feedstuffs, Seibert said. To further complicate things the storage losses on some of these feedstuffs can range from 5-50 percent or more.

The Cost of Feedstuffs Calculator allows livestock managers, consultants and veterinarians to compare the cost of purchasing, transporting and storage losses for different feedstuffs. The feedstuffs library includes 120 different feedstuffs comprising: 22 company co-products; 25 byproducts; five new generation co-products; 27 forages; 11 grains; nine crop residues; 12 silages and nine supplements. In addition, producers can add additional feedstuffs available on their farm.

Seibert said each of these feedstuffs can be compared to the default feedstuffs comprised of number two shelled corn, 44 percent soybean meal and mid-bloom alfalfa hay. Groups of five, 10 or 15 different feedstuffs can be compared at one time with the feedstuffs ranked on a “cost per pound of energy” or “cost per pound of protein” basis.

Seibert explained the project began about three years when he started to compile a list of plants that sell co-products. “We wanted to compile a list so people knew where to go to get these products. The list included where the plants were located, the types of products sold, a contact at the plant and pricing,” he said.

He said the calculator itself is the second part of the project.
“If producers can compare feed sources, they can start making wiser decisions about what they buy,” he said.

Support for the development of this computer program was provided by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, University of Illinois extension; and departments of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, and Animal Sciences.

Programming for the Cost of Feedstuffs Tool was done by Brooks Schaffer, a graduate student at the University of Illinois Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics. The driving forces behind the project were Seibert; Mike Hutjens, UoI extension dairy specialist; and Gary Schnitkey, extension farm management specialist.