Many livestock farmers out here frequently start out with little knowledge of animal nutrition. And yet some successfully manage their businesses with profit for reasonable periods of time. Seasoned extension specialists and farm business support experts have variously made this observation over the years.

The above shows just how much potential exists to do even better, if such farmers were to improve their level of know-how.

In Tough Times, Farmers With Know-How Rule

And if there was ever a time for such farmers to step up their game, it’s now. Hard times are forcing businesses to re-invent themselves. With tough times persisting, farm business owners with better know-how, are the ones who stand a better chance of surviving – and even prospering.

Their sound knowledge equips them to develop more efficient farm management processes. And that includes formulating least cost rations – as against lowest priced rations.

A Least Cost Ration Should Not Be Confused With a Lowest-Priced Ration

They sound alike. But that’s where the similarity ends. The least cost ration is what any smart farmer, who wants his/her commercial farm animals to flourish, will strive to prepare for them. And s/he will understand that such a ration is unlikely to be the cheapest to make.

Not-so-smart (or penny wise…) farmers tend to fall into the trap of going for lowest priced rations. That mistake ultimately costs them via poor performance of their farm animals.

Every farmer who wishes to make the most of formulating rations for his/her animals needs to understand what a least cost ration is, and why that is what s/he should aim for.

A least cost ration is the lowest cost formula that contains all the nutritional ingredients needed for optimal performance of the animals to be fed with it. 

The lowest priced feed formula is usually NOT one that will produce optimal performance, since performance depends not only on price but also on efficiency of utilization.

Summary

It therefore goes without saying that to get the best performance from your farm animals in a commercial livestock farming situation, you must aim to produce least cost rations.

That will enable you supply an optimal mix of balanced nutrients to your livestock at the least possible cost – ensuring you can maximize your production output, without spending excessively on feeding.

Understanding this not-so-subtle difference explained above, can determine whether or not your livestock farm business fails or succeeds.