1

METHODS OF FORMULATING FOOD MIXTURES

BASIC CONCEPTS

Food. Any material of plant, animal, or mineral origin, intended for consumption.
of animals and man. Example: pastures, forages, grains, cakes, flours,
mineral salts, balanced feed mixture, etc.

Feeding. A branch of animal science that studies food and its rational use.
with productive and economic purposes. It is the art of feeding animals
according to their nutritional requirements.

Ration. Amount of food designated for an animal over a 24-hour period.

Ejemplo: 120 g de alimento balanceado para una gallina, 10 kg de heno de avena
for a cow weighing 500 kg, etc.

Diet. Quality of food intended for an animal in order to achieve a purpose.

specific. It is the food specially prepared for a particular animal.
Example: hypocaloric diet for a breeding animal, hyposodic diet for a
heart patient, etc.

Note: in animal feed, ration and diet are generally synonyms.

Balanced feed. Food or a mixture of foods that has a balance or

nutrient balance according to the needs of the animal.

Formulation of balanced feeds

It is the process of adjusting the proportions or quantities of food that must be

to form a mixture to achieve a balance or equilibrium of nutrients according to
to the nutritional requirements of animals. It is one of the operations
centers in animal feeding to ensure good nutrition and a
optimal animal response. The cost of feeding represents more than 70% of
total production cost, which is why it is important to maximize returns through
of appropriate diets and the knowledge of the ingredients. The formulation of
Balanced nutrition is both a science and an art that requires knowledge of the
foods and animals and a dose of patience and skill to carry out
appropriate formulas. Typical formulas express quantities or proportions
of the ingredients to be included in the mixture and the concentration of nutrients
(composition) in the diet compatible with nutritional requirements of the
animal class for which the diet is prepared (chickens, pigs, dairy cows, etc.).
There are four types of food formulas: paper formula, mill formula, in
feeder and in the animal's mouth. It is a process by which several are combined
food ingredients in the desired proportions to achieve the quantity or
nutrient ratio.

NORMAS FOR FORMULATING FOOD MIXTURES

The formulation of balanced feed mixtures requires four standards:

nutritional requirements of animals (demand), the composition of the
food (supply), the restrictions to be imposed on food (maximum or
minimums), and the formulation method to be used.

Nutritional requirements of animals

1
Ph. D. Bernardo Roque Huanca
Professor, FMVZ-UNA-PUNO.

1
 It is the set of nutrients that animals need to consume in their
food in order to fulfill its productive functions. The most important nutrients
the needs for animals are energy, protein (amino acids), minerals and
vitamins. The amounts or proportions depend on the species, breed, type,
line, sex, age, weight, physiological state, productive level and conditions
environmental. The purposes can be for maintenance, growth,
weight gain, lactation, laying, work, etc. The reference information is
obtained from the tables of the National Research Council (NRC) for each species.
Commercial farms have generated their own nutritional requirements.
for each species and/or commercial line of animals.

2. Nutritional value of foods

The first step in food formulation is the evaluation of the

ingredients. It is the nutrient content: energy, protein (amino acids),
minerals and vitamins from food intended for animals. This
information is also obtained from evaluations made locally or from the
tables of the National Research Council (NRC).

3. Food Restrictions

Some foods have limitations for animals, therefore it is

necessary to limit its use in mixtures. Example: the cotton paste has
gossypol, its use at high levels causes problems in birds; soy can
having antitrypsins, its unlimited use can cause pancreas problems in
birds; urea is toxic at high doses, so it is necessary to limit it to a level
maximum usage in the mixtures.

4. Formulation methods

There are different mathematical methods for formulating food.

balanced, for which a minimum mastery of arithmetic is necessary or
algebra in order to make precise adjustments to the proportions or quantities of
nutrients in the mixtures. Each method has its possibilities and limitations,
its use depends on the purposes of each formulation. With few ingredients
simple formulas are made but it is not possible to gather all the nutrients
required by animals. The most commonly used methods in feeding
animal are the following:
Pearson's square Simple, modified and double.
Algebraic equations With 1, 2, 3, 4 variables.
Linear programming: Simplex.
Computerized: Mixit-2, Z-Mix, AEZO and others.

2
 SIMPLE PEARSON SQUARE

The Pearson Square method is designed to create simple formulas.

It is used to formulate mixtures with two or more foods into a single nutrient.
The nutrient content of the ingredients and the requirements of
nutrients should be expressed on the same basis (on a dry matter basis or as
offered).

Procedure:
Draw a square.
2. Place the animal's requirement in the square.
3. Place the foods and their value on the left side of the square
nutritional.
4. Diagonally subtract the values and place the differences on the right side.
5. Divide each part by the total to calculate the percentage of each food.

EXAMPLE 1: Formulation with two foods

1. Formulate a feed mix for laying hens, using

such as corn grain and soybean cake. Balance the formula in protein.
through the simple square.
Square approach:
Parts % Protein
Corn 9 28 80 7.2
16
Soy 44 7 20 8.8
35 100 16.0
Feed formula for laying hens.
Mix Protein
Food
% %
Corn 80 7.2
Soy 20 8.8
Total 100 16.0
Requirement 16.0
Balance 0.0

There are two important considerations for doing the square work:

The value in the middle of the square must be intermediate between the two values.
that are used on the sides of the square.

2. The diagonal value of the nutrient from the nutritional requirement remains.

ASSIGNED EXERCISE

2. Formulate a feed mix for growing pigs (20-50 kg),

using sorghum grain and soybean meal as food. Balance the formula
in protein through the simple square.

3
 ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS

3. Formulate a feed mix for growing chickens (16%)

using barley grain (11%) and soybean cake (44%).
Balance the formula in protein through algebraic equations.

4. Formulate a feed mix for finishing pigs (50 kg and more),

using sorghum grain and soybean meal as food. Balance the formula.
in protein through algebraic equations.

ASSIGNED EXERCISE

5. Formulate a feed mixture for the following species, through

simple square method and algebraic equations; balance the formula in
protein.
Start layers Corn and soy cake.
Grillers in finish Sorghum and cotton paste.
Adult boars Corn and wheat by-products.
Nursing sows Oats and soy cake.

EXAMPLE 2: Formulation with more than two foods.

6. Formulate a feed mix for laying hens using grains.
of corn and barley (3:1) as energy foods, and soybean cake as
protein food. Balance the formula in protein through the square.
simple.
Organization of food blocks

When there are more than two foods, it is advisable to organize blocks of
foods by nutritional affinity in the proposed proportions and then it
calculate the protein content of the block.
Block of energy foods and their protein content.
Food Parts % Protein
Corn 3 75 6.75
Barley 1 25 2.75
Total 4 100 9.50

Square proposal:

With the blocks, the square is formed. Each food block is

behaves as if it were a single food. Example: Energy block
made up of two foods has 9.50% protein.

Parts % Protein
BE 9.5 29.0 84.06 7.986
15
Soy 44.0 5.5 15.94 7.014
34.5 100.00 14.000

4
 Subdivision of the block:

The block of energy foods in the mixture accounts for 84.06%. It is

it is necessary to fraction the block in the established proportions (3:1=4),
what will be 63.04% for corn grain and 21.02% for barley grain.
Presentation of the formula:
The nutritional formula is the representation of the mixture, it has the following
partes: título específico y varias columnas (alimentos, mezcla, proteína y otros
nutrients), it must have very specific units of measurement; a total,
requirements and difference.
Feed formula for laying hens.
Foods Mix Protein Met-Cis Lysine
% % % %
Corn 63.04 5.674
Barley 21.02 2.312
Soy 15.94 7.014
Total 100.00 15,000
Requirement 15,000
Balance 0.000

DIRECTED EXERCISES
7. Formulate a food mixture for growing laying hens.
using sorghum grain, soybean cake, and cotton cake (3:1). Balance the
formula in protein through the simple square.
8. Formulate a feed mixture for growing pigs (5-10 kg)
using sorghum grain and barley grain (3:1), soybean meal and flour of
fish (4:1). Balance the formula in protein through the equations.
algebraic.
ASSIGNED EXERCISES
9. Formulate a feed mixture for the following species, using the
cuadrado simple y ecuaciones algebraicas; balancear en proteína.
a) Starting grillers: Corn and barley (1:1); soy and fish meal (3:1).
b) Layers in pre-laying: Barley-quinoa (3:2); soybeans and cotton (4:1).
c) Adult boars: Corn, sorghum, and barley (3:1:1); p. cotton and SPT (1:1).
d) Nursing pigs: Barley; soy, cottonseed, and fishmeal (2:1:1).

5
 MODIFIED PEARSON SQUARE
The method is used to formulate mixtures that include ingredients in
fixed proportions according to the animal's demand and criteria of
formulator. For example, it is necessary to add a constant proportion of
lime in the mixture for hens, or dicalcium phosphate, or common salt. In these
In cases, the modified square is very useful.
EXAMPLE 1. Formulation with fixed ingredients.
Formulate a feed mixture for laying hens using corn and soy.
Include in the mix the following fixed ingredients: limestone, 5%; dicalcium phosphate,
0.5%; common salt, 0.3%; vitamin and mineral premixes, 0.2%.
Procedure
Step 1. Formulate the possible food formula
Feed formula: Laying hens.
Food Mix Protein
% %
Corn
Soy
Limestone 5.00 -.-
Dicalcium phosphate 0.50 -.-
Common salt 0.30 -.-
PM-VM 0.20 -.-
Total 100.00 15,000
Requirement 15,000
Balance 00.000
Step 2. Adjust the protein
Required protein 15.00 %
Adjusted protein 15.96 %

Paso 3. Plantear el cuadrado

Parts % Protein
Corn 9 April 28 75.31 6.78
15.96
Soya 44 6.96 18.69 8.22
35.00 94.00 15.00

Step 3. Formulate the feed formula

Nutritional formula.- Laying hens.
Food Mix Protein
% %
Corn 75.31 6.78
Soy 18.69 8.22
Limestone 5.00 -.-
Dicalcium phosphate 0.50 -.-
Common salt 0.30 -.-
PM-VM 0.20 -.-
Total 100.00 15.00
Requirement 15.00
Balance 00.00

6
DIRECTED EXERCISES
10. Formulate a feed mixture for growing chickens, using
sorghum grain, soybean cake, and cotton cake (3:1). Balance the formula in
protein through the simple square. Include in the mixture 3.5% bran,
limestone 1%, bone meal 0.4%, PM-VM 0.1%.
11. Formulate a feed mixture for growing pigs (5-10 kg),
using sorghum grain and barley grain (3:1), soybean cake and flour of
fish (4:1). Include 5% alfalfa meal and calcium carbonate in the mix
0.6%, montafos 0.2%, PM-VM 0.1%. Balance the formula in protein to
through algebraic equations.
ASSIGNED EXERCISES
12. Formulate a feed mix for the following species, using the
modified square and algebraic equations; balance in protein.
Grill start. Variable ingredients: Corn and barley (1:1); soy and
fish (3:1). Fixed ingredients: calcium carbonate 0.9%, phosphate
dicalcium 0.4%, PM-VM 0.1%, vegetable oil 0.6%, antioxidant 0.1%.
Laying hens pre-laying. Variable ingredients: Barley and quinoa (3:2); soy.
and cotton (4:1). Fixed ingredients: conch shell 0.9%, bone meal
0.4%, PM-VM 0.1%, fish oil 0.6%, antioxidant 0.1%.
Adult boars. Variable ingredients: Corn, sorghum, and barley (3:1:1);
soybean and cotton (1:1). Fixed ingredients: SPT 5%, calcium carbonate 0.6%,
dicalcium phosphate 0.3%, PM-VM 0.1%, vegetable oil 0.6%.
Nursing piglets. Variable ingredients: Barley and corn (3:1), soybean,
cotton and fish paste (2:1:1). Fixed ingredients: alfalfa flour 5%,
calcium carbonate 1.5%, dicalcium phosphate 0.5%, PM-VM 0.1%, oil
vegetable 0.6%.

LINEAR PROGRAMMING (LP)

It is a method that formulates balanced food mixtures at the lowest cost.
using a series of mathematical equations. There are many possible
solutions for each set of equations, but when the cost factor is applied,
there can only be one possible combination. An electronic computer is capable
to perform hundreds of calculations in a short time, which is why programs are applied
specialized formulations.
Puno, June 2010