A feed budget for the whole year

In short

• Budget = requirement − own production = purchases. Work it out separately for hay, grain and compound feed, meals and minerals.
• Homestead plan norms: a hen 45 kg of feed, a table chicken 9 kg per batch, a rabbit doe 180 kg, a goat 400 kg of hay for winter, a sheep 350 kg.
• A 10–15 % reserve for a long winter and drought, plus 5–10 % losses in store.
• Do the sums by July, buy by October: hay and grain are cheapest in summer.
• When feed runs short, reduce the number of animals in autumn, not the ration for milkers, pregnant females and young stock.
• Once a year, compare the plan with actual use from your log and correct the norms for next year.

What's inside

Chapters

1. What a feed budget is
2. Step 1: animals and animal-days
3. Step 2: requirement from the norms
4. Step 3: what you produce yourself
5. Step 4: purchases and cost
6. Spreading it across the year
7. When feed runs short
8. The yearly budget check
9. Common mistakes
10. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Feed and concentrate calculator
• Hay and land calculator
• Feed cost calculator
• My holding's feed budget
• Monthly stock plan
• Consumption log and calendar