Patent Publication Number: US-2007113791-A1

Title: Computer system for determining a customized animal feed

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS  
      This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/348,298, filed Feb. 6, 2006, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/985,365, filed Nov. 10, 2004, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/715,053, filed Nov. 17, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,023, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/739,550, filed Dec. 15, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,717. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a computerized system for determining a customized feed for animals, such as cattle, swine poultry, fish, crustaceans and the like. In particular, the system determines a feed mix based upon data relating to information such as animal characteristics, available ingredients, speed of product production, and cost of production.  
     BACKGROUND  
      In food production, and specifically producing animal products such as milk, beef, pork, eggs, chicken, fish etc., there is need to improve production efficiency. Production efficiency, i.e. producing the maximum quantity of animal products while minimizing the time and cost of production for those products, is important in maintaining a competitive advantage.  
      A producer (i.e. a farmer, rancher, pork producer, and the like) generally wants to maximize the amount of animal product produced (e.g. gallons of milk, pounds of beef or pork produced) while keeping the costs associated with feed at a low level in order to achieve maximum animal productivity. The maximized amount of animal product should be produced at a minimized cost to the producer. Costs to the producer include the cost of feed needed to produce the animal products, as well as the costs of related equipment and facilities needed in the production of animal products. In order to minimize the effect of fixed costs associated with equipment and facilities, the maximum amount of animal product should preferably be produced in a minimum time period.  
      Producers are constantly trying to increase these production efficiencies. One way of increasing production efficiencies is by altering the feed which animals are fed. For example, a feed with certain amounts of nutrients can cause an animal to grow or produce animal products quickly and/or perform better, whereas a different feed with different amounts of nutrients may cause an animal to grow or produce animal products on a more cost effective basis.  
      Current systems for creating animal feed are not fully capable of helping producers evaluate and improve production efficiencies. Current systems commonly generate an overall nutrient profile which is related to a set of animal characteristics. Such systems then look at the overall nutrient profile and compare what nutrients may be had from the on-farm ingredients. From this comparison, a “nutritional gap” can be calculated, i.e., the nutritional requirements that the producer needs to fulfill his production goals after accounting for the use of his on-site feed. This nutritional gap is then compared to the nutritional components which may be available from ingredients located at a supplier&#39;s mill. Through a comparison of the nutritional gap and the nutritional components available from the mill, current systems allow a supplier to provide a cost effective custom feed which is optimized to permit an animal to produce desired animal products on a cost minimized basis.  
      Currently systems exist that are capable of taking the amounts of on-farm ingredients to be used in the overall diet of the animal into account. This is typically done by accounting for the on-farm component of the animal&#39;s diet as a fixed input parameter in the determination. It would be advantageous to be able to modify the amounts of on-farm ingredients to be used in forming the custom feed as part of the optimization process. Moreover, current systems are generally limited to generating the custom feed based on a single evaluation criteria, typically based on the cost of the feed (e.g., on a cost of feed per unit of animal weight gain basis). It would be advantageous to have a system which is capable of utilizing more than one evaluation criteria in generating the custom feed.  
     SUMMARY  
      One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for determining customized feed for animals, such as farm livestock, poultry, fish and crustaceans. The system stores animal data representative of the characteristics of the animal, feed data representative of the feed ingredients located at one or more locations, and evaluation data representative of at least one evaluation criteria. The evaluation criteria are generally related to factors representative of animal productivity. An optimization weighting is used to indicate the weight assigned to the evaluation criteria. Examples of evaluation criteria include (i) animal production rate (e.g., the rate of animal weight gain or the rate of production of a food product such as milk or eggs); (ii) cost of feed per unit animal weight gain; and (iii) feed weight per unit animal weight gain. The system includes a data processing circuit, which may be one or more programmed microprocessors, in communication with a data storage device or devices which store the data. The data processing circuit is configured to generate profile data representative of a nutrient profile for the animals based upon the animal data. In effect, the nutrient profile is a description of the overall diet to be fed to the animals defined in terms of a set of nutritional parameters (“nutrients”). Using the profile data, the data processing circuit generates ration data representative of a combination of ingredients from one or more locations. The ration data is generated by the data processing circuit based upon the profile data, the feed data, the evaluation data, and the optimization weighting data.  
      Another embodiment of the system includes system for determining customized feed for at least one animal. The system includes first memory means for storing animal data representative of the characteristics of the animal, second memory means for storing feed data representative of the feed ingredients located at at least one location, third memory for storing evaluation data representative of at least two evaluation criteria, and processing means for generating profile data representative of a nutrient profile for the animal based upon the animal data, processing means further generating ration data representative of a combination of ingredients from the location, the ration data being generated by the processing means based upon the profile data, the feed data and the evaluation data. The system further includes fourth memory means for storing optimization weighting data representative of the effect a respective evaluation criteria has on the generation of the ration data, the processing means further generating the ration data based upon the optimization weighting data.  
      A further embodiment of the present invention provides a method for determining customized feed for at least one animal. The method includes storing animal data representative of the characteristics of the animal, storing feed data representative of the feed ingredients located at at least one location, storing evaluation data representative of at least two evaluation criteria, storing optimization weighting data representative of the effect a respective evaluation criteria, generating profile data representative of a nutrient profile for the animal based upon the animal data; and generating ration data representative of a combination of ingredients from the location, the ration data being generated based upon the profile data, the feed data, the evaluation data, and the optimization weighting data.  
      As modifications to the embodiments described herein, systems and/or methods may rely on more than one optimizing criteria and/or feed data representative of ingredients located at more than one location. For example, ingredients which could be used to create the ration may be located at the farm associated with the animals as well as at the mill of an ingredient supplier. Depending upon the requirements of the system, processing can be consolidated in one processor or divided between processors in communication via a network such as a LAN or the Internet. Furthermore, the processors may be located in devices such as workstations, portable PC&#39;s and/or hand held computers.  
      In other variations of the embodiments described herein, the systems and/or methods may further include a memory portion in communication with the digital processor which stores variation data representative of a range for one or more nutrients of the nutrient profile. The digital processor is capable of generating a set of ration data based upon the variation data. A memory portion of the system may store variation data which corresponds to preselected incremental variations for the values assigned to one or more individual nutrients in the nutritional profile.  
      Throughout this application, the text refers to various embodiments of the system and/or method. The various embodiments described are meant to provide a variety of exemplary examples and should not be construed as descriptions of alternative species. Moreover, it should be noted that the descriptions of the various embodiments provided herein may be of overlapping scope. The embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a general schematic representation of the data flow in one embodiment of the present System.  
       FIG. 2  is a general schematic representation of the data flow in another embodiment of the System which is designed to be used to generate a custom product (“Custom Ration”) and/or feed mix from on-site ingredients (“On-Farm Ration”) optimized for milk production and/or quality.  
       FIG. 3  is a general schematic representation of the data flow in a variation of the System shown in  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      An exemplary system, and process which can be used in producing a customized feed for animals, such as livestock, poultry, fish or crustaceans is described herein. How the system and process can increase production efficiencies by customizing feed is also disclosed. It is particularly desirable if the system and methods are capable of determining an optimized feed using one or more evaluation criteria. Examples of suitable evaluation criteria include a feed cost per unit animal weight gain basis, an animal production rate basis (e.g., based upon a rate of animal weight gain or a rate of production of an animal product, such as milk or eggs), and a feed amount per unit of animal weight gain basis.  
      In one embodiment of the present system, a computer system may be used which has a processing unit that executes sequences of instructions contained in memory. More specifically, execution of the sequences of instructions causes the processing unit to perform various operations, which are described herein. The instructions may be loaded into a random access memory (RAM) for execution by the processing unit from a read-only memory (ROM), a mass storage device, or some other persistent storage. In other embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with, software instructions to implement the present method. Thus, the embodiments described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and/or software, nor to any particular source for the instructions executed by the computer system.  
      Creating a customized feed typically involves processing and manipulating at least four basic data sets (see, e.g.,  FIG. 1 ): first feed data representative of the collection of ingredients located at a first location  1 , second feed data representative of the collection ingredients located at a second location  2 , animal data representative of characteristics of the animal  3  (e.g., parameters related to its genotype, production level, environment and/or feeding regime), and evaluation criteria  4 . As will be explained below, very often first and second feed data representative of sets of ingredients located at an on-farm site (first ingredients  1  located at a first location) and ingredients located at a supplier&#39;s mill site (second ingredients  2  located at a second location) are used to generate the recommended mix of ingredients to be fed to the animal. In many instances, the ration data define an overall diet for the animal which includes custom rations from more than one location (e.g., a custom ration from a first location  7  and a custom ration from a second location  8  as depicted in  FIG. 1 ). These can be combined to create a customized feed (“ration”) which fulfills the animal data requirements while meeting the evaluation criteria  4 .  
      The evaluation criteria may be chosen from such suitable criteria related to animal productivity as (i) animal production rate, (ii) cost of feed per unit animal weight gain, and (iii) feed weight per unit animal weight gain.  
      In some modified embodiments, the present system may include additional memory portions for storing nutrient level constraints  5  and/or ingredient level constraints  6 . This may be useful where, for example, it has been established that higher levels of certain nutritional components could pose a risk to the health of an animal being fed the custom feed. For example, if the custom feed includes some trace minerals, such as selenium, present in too great an amount, the custom feed may have adverse health consequences to the animal. Various embodiments of the present invention allow constraints to be placed on the maximum and/or minimum amounts of one or more nutrients in the profile data generated. In some embodiments, this may be used together with the animal data as a basis to calculate the profile data. These constraints may be stored in a memory location as part of the system or the system may permit an individual operator to input one or more constraints on the amount of particular nutrient(s) in the profile data generated by the system. Similarly, it may be desirable to limit the amounts of one or more ingredients in either a custom product mix or in the overall diet to be fed to the animal. For example, for ease of formulation of a custom feed in pellet form it may be desirable to limit the amount of certain ingredients and/or require the inclusion of minimum amounts of specified ingredients.  
      The first data set that is generally input into the system and subsequently stored in a memory portion includes data representative of characteristics of the animal. Examples of types of data representative of animal characteristics (“animal data”) include beginning weight of the animal; a desired weight of the animal; an environment of the animal; a feed form; an actual or desired production level of the animal; and a relationship of animal muscle to fat of the animal. For example, the nutrient profile generated for a particular animal can vary based upon a number of different characteristics of the animal relating to one or more of its genotype, environment, current condition (e.g., defined in terms of health and/or weight), desired production level, feed form (e.g., meal or pellet), current production level, desired final condition (e.g., defined in terms of final weight and/or relationship of animal muscle to fat of the animal) and the like. Tables 1 and 2 below list illustrative sets of animal characteristics which can be used as a basis to generate nutritional profiles to be used in designing custom rations (“custom feeds”) for swine and dairy cattle, respectively.  
               TABLE 1                       Animal Characteristics Suitable for Generating       a Nutritional Profile for a Feed for Swine                                                Animal Category   Genotype (lean gain)           Finisher   Effective Ambient Temperature           Gilt Replacement   Temperature           Grow   Draft           Prebred   Bedding           Sow   % of pigs that are wet)           Gestation   Pigs per pen           Lactation   Pig density (square feet per pig)           Artificial Insemination Boar   Health           Begin Weight   Flooring Type           End Weight   Total pigs born/litter           Feed Disappearance (Intake)   Litter weight gain           Feed Wastage   Total pigs born/litter           Feed Form                      
 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Animal Characteristics Suitable for Generating 
               
               
                 a Nutritional Profile for Dairy Cattle 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 Target Milk Weight (volume) 
                 Body Weight 
               
               
                 Target Milk Butterfat % 
                 Body Weight Change 
               
               
                 Target Milk Protein % 
                 Body Condition Score (current) 
               
               
                 Current Milk Weight (volume) 
                 Body Condition Score (desired) 
               
               
                 Current Milk Butterfat % 
                 Actual Dry Matter Intake 
               
               
                 Current Milk Protein % 
                 Environmental Temperature 
               
               
                 Percent of group in first lactation 
                 Environmental Humidity 
               
               
                 Percent of group in second lactation 
                 Genotype 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
      The animal data representative of the characteristics of the animal may be inputted into a computer system with a memory portion available and configured to store the data. The animal data representative of the characteristics of the animal may be inputted into the system by a variety of methods known to those skilled in the art including a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, computer, internet or other related device.  
      The system includes a data processing circuit which is configured to generate profile data representative of a nutrient profile for the animals based upon the animal data. In effect, the nutrient profile is a description of the overall diet to be fed to the animals defined in terms of a set of nutritional parameters (“nutrients”). Depending on the desired degree of sophistication of the system, the profile data may include a relatively small set of amounts of nutrients or large number of amounts of nutrients. Table 3 includes an illustrative list of nutrients that may be used delineating profile data for animals such as pigs and dairy cattle. Of course, the list of nutrients used in generating profile data may differ for different types of livestock or other animals. Tables 4 and 5 respectively contain lists of nutrients suitable for use in generating nutritional profiles for swine and dairy cattle, respectively.  
      The data processing circuit in the present system is also configured to generate ration data representative of a combination of ingredients from one or more locations. The ration data is generated by the data processing circuit based upon the profile data, feed data representative of the feed ingredients available at the location(s) and evaluation data representative of one or more evaluation criteria.  
               TABLE 3                       Nutrients Suitable for Generating       a Nutritional Profile                                                Animal Fat   Rumres Nfc           Ascorbic Acid   Salt           Biotin   Selenium           Cal/Phos   Simple Sugar           Chloride   Sodium           Choline   Sol Rdp           Chromium   Sulfur           Cobalt   Sw Obs Me           Copper   Thiamine           Arginine (Total and/or Digestible)   Total Rdp           Cystine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Adf           Isoleucine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Ash           Leucine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Calcium           Lysine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Dry Matt           Methionine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Fat           Phenylalanine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Fiber           Threonine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Hemi           Tryptophan (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Moisture           Valine (Total and/or Digestible)   Verified Ndf           Folic Acid   Verified Neg           Phosphate   Verified Nel           Iodine   Verified Nem           Iron   Verified Nfc           Lactose   Verified Phos           Lasalocid   Verified Protein           Magnesium   Verified Rup           Manganese   Vitamin A           Monensin   Vitamin B12           Niacin   Vitamin B6           Potassium   Vitamin D           Protein   Vitamin E           Pyridoxine   Vitamin K           Rh Index   Zinc           Riboflavin           Rough Ndf           Rum Solsug                      
 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 4 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Nutrients Suitable for Generating 
               
               
                 a Nutritional Profile for Swine 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Biotin 
               
               
                   
                 Cal/Phos 
               
               
                   
                 Choline 
               
               
                   
                 Coppr Add 
               
               
                   
                 Folic Acid 
               
               
                   
                 Iodine Add 
               
               
                   
                 Iron Add 
               
               
                   
                 Mang Add 
               
               
                   
                 Niacin 
               
               
                   
                 Pantotnc 
               
               
                   
                 Pyridoxine 
               
               
                   
                 Riboflavin 
               
               
                   
                 Salt 
               
               
                   
                 Selenium Add 
               
               
                   
                 Sodium 
               
               
                   
                 Sw Digphos 
               
               
                   
                 Thiamine 
               
               
                   
                 True Swine Digestible isoleucine 
               
               
                   
                 True Swine Digestible lysine 
               
               
                   
                 True Swine Digestible methionine 
               
               
                   
                 True Swine Digestible threonine 
               
               
                   
                 True Swine Digestible tryptophan 
               
               
                   
                 True Swine Digestible valine 
               
               
                   
                 V Calcium 
               
               
                   
                 V Phos 
               
               
                   
                 V Protein 
               
               
                   
                 Vit A 
               
               
                   
                 Vit D 
               
               
                   
                 Vit E 
               
               
                   
                 Vit K 
               
               
                   
                 Vitamin B12 
               
               
                   
                 Zinc 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 5 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Nutrients Suitable for Generating 
               
               
                 a Nutritional Profile for Dairy Cattle 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Acid Detergent Fiber 
               
               
                   
                 Biotin 
               
               
                   
                 Calcium 
               
               
                   
                 Chloride 
               
               
                   
                 Cobalt 
               
               
                   
                 Copper 
               
               
                   
                 Dietary Cation Anion Difference 
               
               
                   
                 Digestible Neutral Detergent Fiber 
               
               
                   
                 Dry Matter 
               
               
                   
                 Fat 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Arginine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Histidine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Isoleucine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Leucine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Lysine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Methionine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Phenylalanine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Threonine 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Tryptophan 
               
               
                   
                 Intestinally Digestible Valine 
               
               
                   
                 Iodine 
               
               
                   
                 Iron 
               
               
                   
                 Magnesium 
               
               
                   
                 Manganese 
               
               
                   
                 Neutral Detergent Fiber 
               
               
                   
                 Neutral Detergent Fiber from 
               
               
                   
                 Roughage 
               
               
                   
                 Niacin 
               
               
                   
                 Non Fiber Carbohydrates 
               
               
                   
                 Non-Protein Nitrogen 
               
               
                   
                 Phosphorus 
               
               
                   
                 Potassium 
               
               
                   
                 Protein 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Degradable Protein 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Alanine 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Histidine 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Isoleucine 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Leucine 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Lysine 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Methionine 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Phenylalanine 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Protein 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Tryptophan 
               
               
                   
                 Rumen Undegraded Valine 
               
               
                   
                 Salt 
               
               
                   
                 Selenium 
               
               
                   
                 Sodium 
               
               
                   
                 Soluble Protein 
               
               
                   
                 Soluble Sugar 
               
               
                   
                 Starch 
               
               
                   
                 Sulfur 
               
               
                   
                 Verified Net Energy for Lactation 
               
               
                   
                 Vitamin A 
               
               
                   
                 Vitamin D 
               
               
                   
                 Vitamin E 
               
               
                   
                 Zinc 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
      Evaluation criteria are typically related to factors representative of animal productivity and reflect an aspect of production a producer would like to optimize. The present system allows a producer to select evaluation criteria (e.g. cost/gain, cost/output, animal production rate, and/or feed/gain) which fits the producer&#39;s production goals. For example, a dairy producer may focus on the cost of feed required to produce a unit of output (cost/output), whereas a pork producer may focus on cost/gain or rate of gain.  
      Examples of suitable animal production criteria which may be used as evaluation criteria in the generation of ration data include (i) animal production rate, (ii) the cost of feed per unit animal weight gain, and (iii) the feed weight per unit animal weight gain. The animal production rate may simply be a measure representative of the rate of weight gain of the animal in question (rate of gain). For example, a pork producer may wish to optimize rate of gain by selecting a feed which maximizes the rate at which a pig gains weight. This could be selected if a pig farmer was interested in turning over production as quickly as possible in a fixed asset which has limited space. The evaluation data may include data representative of the cost of feed required to produce a unit of weight gain of the animal (“cost/gain” basis). For example, a pork producer may wish to optimize cost/gain by selecting a feed which minimizes the feed cost required to make a pig gain a unit of weight. The evaluation data can include data representative of the amount of feed required to produce a unit of gain (feed/gain). For example, a producer may wish to optimize the feed/gain by selecting a feed which minimizes the amount of feed required to produce a unit of gain. A producer might select this criterion if they were faced with feed storage space constraints.  
      Examples of other suitable animal production rates which may be used as an evaluation criteria include rates of production of food products, such as milk or eggs, from the animal. Other suitable evaluation criteria include the cost of feed required to produce a unit of output of a particular animal product (“cost/output”). For example, a milk producer may wish to optimize the cost/output by selecting a feed which minimizes the cost of feed required to produce a unit of milk. In addition to utilizing evaluation data representative of only a single evaluation criteria, the present system may be capable of using evaluation data representative of a combination of two or more evaluation criteria in generating the ration data. For example, when considering an appropriate feed, a producer may wish to generate a custom feed based on the rate of production as well as cost of the feed (typically on a cost/gain basis).  
      Furthermore, the producer may choose to weight the relative contributions of two or more evaluation criteria. The system may include a data processing circuit which generates ration data based in part upon a weighted average of more than one evaluation criteria. In one specific embodiment, the system generates ration data based in part upon a 70:30 weighted average of two evaluation criteria (primary and secondary), such as a combination of cost of feed per unit animal weight gain and animal production rate. The system may also allow a user to alter the relative weighting accorded to the various evaluation criteria selected.  
      For instance, in the example referred to above, the producer may want to generate ration data using a combination of evaluation criteria that is weighted 70% on a cost/gain basis and 30% on a rate of animal weight gain basis. One method for providing such a weighted optimization analysis is to generate one solution for ration data using cost/gain as the sole evaluation criteria and generating a second for ration data using rate of animal weight gain as the sole evaluation criteria. Ration data which is representative of the weighted combined solution can be achieved by summing 70% of the amounts of ingredients from the cost/gain ration data set and 30% of the amounts of ingredients from the rate of gain ration data set. For example, in the instance where cost/gain ration data (generated solely on a cost/gain basis) includes 10% dehulled corn meal, and rate of gain ration data (generated solely on a rate of gain basis) includes 15% dehulled corn meal, if a producer chose cost/gain as the primary evaluation criteria the ingredient mix in the diet will include roughly 70% of the 10% dehulled corn meal requirement, and 30% of the 15% dehulled corn meal requirement summed to produce the amount of dehulled corn meal in the overall diet (i.e., circa 11.5% dehulled corn meal). This weighted summation is then repeated for all the amounts of ingredients present in the two custom diets generated by the two approaches. As one skilled in the art will recognize, there are other methods of generating ration data based on a weighted combination of evaluation criteria. The present system can also be configured to generate ration data based on other weightings of combinations of two or more evaluation criteria (e.g., two evaluation criteria weighted on either a 60:40 or 80:20 basis). In some embodiments of the present system, the weighting factors assigned to various evaluation criteria can themselves be input parameter(s) chosen by a producer to reflect the needs of his/her particular situation.  
       FIG. 2  depicts the general flow of data in one embodiment of the present system. The system shown in  FIG. 2  includes a data processing circuit  30  configured to generate a nutrient profile  32  based on the animal data  31  and optional adjustments which may be provided by a nutritionist. Other data processing circuits generate lists of nutrient amounts associated with individual ingredients available at an on-farm site  33  and manufacturing site  34 . A data processing circuit  36 , which includes a linear program generates a custom product based on evaluation criteria  35 . The linear program typically also generates the custom product solution based on pricing data associated with both the on-farm and manufacturing site ingredients. In one embodiment, retail and wholesale pricing information may be normalized to allow the linear program to facilitate consideration of potential ingredients with different types of associated prices as the basis for a solution to a single multivariable problem. The linear program is a mathematical model capable of solving problems involving a large number of variables limited by constraints using linear math functions. A variety of different linear programs capable of solving problems of this type are known to those of skill in the art. One example of a program of this type is commercially available from Format International as part of computer software system for solving complicated multivariable problems.  
      Memory portions of the systems which store animal data, evaluation data, and feed data representative of on-hand ingredients and/or mill ingredients are in communication with a data processing unit capable of generating ration data. The data processing unit can include a data processing circuit or a digital processing circuit. The memory portions which store the animal data, feed data for on-hand and mill ingredients, and evaluation data may be in communication with the data processing unit by inputted keyboard commands, mouse commands, a network connection with another computer, personal data assistants, via a modem connection, via an internet, or via an intranet.  
      Data processing circuit(s) which include the linear program can take input data (e.g., profile data, feed data, evaluation data and ingredient constraint data) as a basis to compute ration data. Ration data includes data specifying a combination of ingredients solution which is solved to fulfill a desired nutrient profile based on one or more evaluation criteria. Ration data generated by the present system generally includes data representative of the types and amounts of ingredients to be used to provide an overall custom diet for an animal. The ration data provided by the system generally also specifies a solution that is described in terms of a combination of types and amounts of ingredients from a first location (e.g., an on-farm location) and types and amounts of ingredients from at least one additional site (e.g., one or more supplier locations). Where the overall set of potential ingredients includes ingredients located at more than one location, the custom feed specified by the ration data may be made of ingredients located at either a single location or from more than one location. For example, the ration data may define a custom feed made up from ingredients located solely at supplier location or made up from ingredients located at both an on-farm location and a supplier location.  
      The ration data generally include custom feed data representative of a combination of amounts of the feed ingredients. The custom feed data may specify the type and corresponding amounts of the ingredients to be used in formulating the overall diet of an animal. This may be made up from a set of ingredients available at more than one location, e.g., from ingredients available at a producer&#39;s site and as well as ingredients available at a supplier location. The present system may also provide custom feed data which specifies the types and amounts of ingredients to be used from individual locations. For example, the custom feed data may include a listing of the types and amounts of ingredients available at a first location (e.g., on-farm ingredients) to be used to form a first feed mix and a listing of the types and amounts of ingredients available at a second location (e.g., ingredients available at a supplier location) to be used to form a second feed mix. In such instances, the custom feed data will typically also specify the amounts of the first and second feed mixes that are to be used to make up the overall custom diet for an animal.  
      The ration data typically includes amounts of a variety of types of ingredients. The actual ingredients available at any particular location can vary over time and will generally vary on a regional basis as well as reflect the type of animal feed that is typically produced and/or stored at the particular site. Commonly, the ration data include feed data representative of amounts of ingredients from a number of different ingredient categories, such as a grain source, a protein source, a vitamin source, a mineral source (e.g., a macromineral source and/or a trace mineral source) and/or a fat source. Table 6 includes a list of exemplary ingredients suitable for use in formulating custom feed mixes for a variety of animals. Tables 7, 8 and 9 include lists of ingredients which may be used in generating custom feed products for swine or dairy cattle.  
               TABLE 7                       Ingredients Suitable for Use in Producing       a Custom Feed for a Finishing Diet for Swine                                            Alimet           Bakery Product           Beet Pulp           Brewers Rice           Brown Sugar           Calcium Carb           Cane Sugar           Canola Meal           Cereal Fines           Cg Feed           Choline           Copper Sulfate           Corn - Ground Fine           Corn Gluten Meal           Corn Oil           Corn Starch           Dehydrated Alfalfa           Distillers Grains With Soil           Dried Potato Waste           Dynasol           Fat           Fat Sprayed           Feather Meal           Feeding Rate           Fish Meal           Linseed Meal           L-Lysine HCl           Lt. Barley           L-Threonine           Malt Sprouts           Meat And Bone Meal           Menhaden Fish           Molasses           Mono-Dical Phos           Monosod Phos           Oat Mill Byproducts           Oat Mill Byproducts           Oats - Ground           Oats - Rolled           Pork Bloodmeal           Safflower Meal           Salt           Selenium           Soybean Hulls           Soybean Meal           Soybean Oil           Sunflower           Tryptosin           Wheat Midds                      
 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 8 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Ingredients Suitable for Use in Producing 
               
               
                 a Custom Feed for Breeding Swine 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Alimet 
               
               
                   
                 Animal Fat 
               
               
                   
                 Ascorb Acid 
               
               
                   
                 Bakery Product 
               
               
                   
                 Bentonite 
               
               
                   
                 Blood Meal - Beef/Pork 
               
               
                   
                 Calcium Carbonate 
               
               
                   
                 Cereal Fines 
               
               
                   
                 Choline Chloride 
               
               
                   
                 Copper Sulfate 
               
               
                   
                 Corn Germ Meal 
               
               
                   
                 Corn Gluten Feed 
               
               
                   
                 Distillers Grains With Solubles 
               
               
                   
                 Dry Methionine Hydroxy Analog 
               
               
                   
                 Fish Meal 
               
               
                   
                 Malt Sprouts 
               
               
                   
                 Meat And Bone Meal; Pork Carcass 
               
               
                   
                 Methionine 
               
               
                   
                 Mineral Oil 
               
               
                   
                 Molasses-Cane 
               
               
                   
                 Mono-Dicalcium Phosphate 
               
               
                   
                 Oat Hulls 
               
               
                   
                 Red Flavor 
               
               
                   
                 Rice Bran 
               
               
                   
                 Salt 
               
               
                   
                 Selenium 
               
               
                   
                 Soybean Hulls 
               
               
                   
                 Threonine 
               
               
                   
                 Tryptophan 
               
               
                   
                 Vitamin E 
               
               
                   
                 Wheat Midds 
               
               
                   
                 Wheat Starch 
               
               
                   
                 Zinc Oxide 
               
               
                   
                 Zinc Sulfate 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 9 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Ingredients Suitable for Producing 
               
               
                 a Custom Feed for Dairy Cattle 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Calcium Carbonate 
                 Salt 
               
               
                   
                 Copper Sulfate 
                 Selenium 
               
               
                   
                 Corn Gluten Meal 
                 Sodium Sesquicarbonate 
               
               
                   
                 Fat 
                 Soybean Hulls 
               
               
                   
                 Magnesium Oxide 
                 Soybean Meal 
               
               
                   
                 Meat And Bone Meal, Pork 
                 Trace Minerals 
               
               
                   
                 Mono-Dical Phos 
                 Urea 
               
               
                   
                 Niacin 
                 Vitamin-E 
               
               
                   
                 Pork Blood Meal 
                 Wheat Midds 
               
               
                   
                 K/Mg/Sulfate 
                 Zin-Pro 
               
               
                   
                 Yeast 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
      When feeding animals, producers may not be able to satisfy nutritional requirements of the animals solely using on-hand ingredients (e.g., on-farm ingredients). To satisfy the animal&#39;s nutritional requirements, producers may desire to use on-hand ingredients in conjunction with a custom feed product made up of feed ingredients available from an outside supplier, such as a mill, feed mixer, and the like. The outside supplier will commonly have a range of ingredients available or on hand in their inventory (e.g., corn in various forms, soybean meal, wheat mids, barley, oats, animal fat, various vitamin supplements).  
      In addition to data specifying the types and amounts of ingredients to be used to provide the overall custom diet for an animal, the ration data generated by the present system can also include other data associated with the overall custom diet. Examples of such other data include cost data representative of a cost associated with the custom feed data, feed weight data representative of a feed weight associated with the custom feed data, and performance data representative of projected animal performance associated with the custom feed data. For example, Table 10 below lists a number of categories of ration data that may be useful in assisting a producer and/or supplier in evaluating a custom feed with respect to productivity, animal performance and cost effectiveness. The availability of these types of information can provide a producer and/or supplier with additional information concerning the effects of variations in dietary composition on factors such as cost, volume of feed, wastage and animal performance. As with the listing(s) of the types and amounts of ingredients, the cost data and feed weight data can be representative of costs and feed weights associated with the overall custom diet and/or with feed mix(es) to be provided from individual locations.  
               TABLE 10                       Illustrative Categories of Ration Data       Associated with a Custom Feed for Swine                                                End Weight   Lean Gain           Days in Phase   Lean %           Avg Daily Gain   Effective Ambient Temp           Avg Daily Feed Intake   Cost of Gain           Total Feed Consumed   Total Cost per phase           Feed/Gain                      
 
      In other variations of the embodiments described herein, the systems and/or methods may also include a memory portion in communication with the digital processor which stores variation data representative of a range for one or more nutrient components of the nutrient profile. The digital processor is capable of generating a set of ration data based upon the variation data. The memory portion may store variation data which correspond to preselected incremental variations for the values assigned to one or more individual nutrients in the nutritional profile. For example, memory portion may store variation data which correspond to preselected incremental positive and negative variations of the values assigned to two individual nutrients, such as true digestible lysine and net energy. The digital processor would generate ration data corresponding to each of the eight possible additional combinations of values for the two specified nutrients. Together with the ration data associated with the original nutritional profile, the resulting set of nine ration data corresponding to the various combinations of values for each specified nutrient (original value, original value plus an increment; original value minus an increment) would make up a three by three matrix of ration data. One example of this approach is illustrated in Table 11 below. A general approach to generating a set of ration data based upon variation data is depicted schematically in  FIG. 3 . The determination of ration data for the center point in the matrix (“Ration Data 5”) corresponds to the solution generated by the data processing circuit based on the nutrient profile. In the example shown in Table 11, the nutrient profile has values of 0.90% for true digestible lysine and 2150 kcal/kg for net energy. Each of the eight other ration data in the set depicted in Table 11 corresponds to a ration data generated for a modified nutrient profile in which the value for at least one nutrient has been varied by a specified increment. For example, Ration Data 1 represents ration data associated with a modified nutrient profile has values of 0.95% for true digestible lysine and 2100 kcal/kg for net energy. Ration Data 6 represents ration data associated with a modified nutrient profile in which only the value for true digestible lysine (0.85%) has been varied from the values in the nutrient profile. The generation of such a matrix can facilitate an evaluation of the effect of incremental variations in amounts of specified nutrient(s) on the assessment of optimum ration data for a given evaluation criteria.  
               TABLE 11                          True Digestible Lysine                                 0.95%   0.90%   0.85%                                             Net   2100   Ration Data 1   Ration Data 2   Ration Data 3       Energy   2150   Ration Data 4   Ration Data 5   Ration Data 6       (kcal/kg)   2200   Ration Data 7   Ration Data 8   Ration Data 9                  
 
      The invention has been described with reference to various specific and illustrative embodiments and techniques. However, it should be understood that many variations and modifications may be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
               TABLE 6                       Exemplary Ingredients Suitable for       Use in Formulating Custom Feed Mixes                                            Acidulated Soap Stocks           Active Dry Yeast           Alfalfa Meal           Alfalfa-Dehydrated           Alimet           Alka Culture           Alkaten           Almond Hulls           Ammonium Chloride           Ammonium Lignin           Ammonium           Polyphosphate           Ammonium Sulfate           Amprol           Amprol Ethopaba           Anhydrous Ammonia           Appetein           Apramycin           Arsanilic Acid           Ascorb Acid           Aspen Bedding           Availa           Avizyme           Bacitracin Zinc           Bakery Product           Barley           Barley-Crimped           Barley-Ground           Barley-Hulless           Barley-Hulls           Barley-Midds           Barley-Needles           Barley-Rolled           Barley-St. Bon.           Barley-Whole           Barley-With Enzyme           Baymag           Beef Peanut Hulls           Beef Peanut Meal           Beet           Beet Pulp           Biotin           Biscuit By Product           Black Beans           Blood-Flash Dry           Blueprint Rx           Bone Meal           Brewers Rice           Brix Cane           Buckwheat           Bugs           Cage Calcium           Calcium Cake           Calcium Chloride           Calcium Formate           Calcium Iodate           Calcium Sulfate           Calciun Prop           Calf Manna           Canadian Peas           Cane-Whey           Canola Cake           Canola Fines           Canola Meal           Canola Oil           Canola Oil Blender           Canola Oil Mix           Canola Screenings           Canola-Whole           Carbadox           Carob Germ           Carob Meal           Cashew Nut By Product           Catfish Offal Meal           Choline Chloride           Chromium Tripicolinate           Citrus Pulp           Clopidol           Cobalt           Cobalt Carbonate           Cobalt Sulfate           Cocoa Cake           Cocoa Hulls           Copper Oxide           Copper Sulfate           Corn Chips           Corn Chops           Corn Coarse Cracked           Corn-Coarse Ground           Corn Cob-Ground           Corn Distillers           Corn Flint           Corn Flour           Corn Germ Bran           Corn Germ Meal           Corn Gluten           Corn-High Oil           Corn Kiblets           Corn Meal Dehulled           Corn Oil           Corn Residue           Corn Starch           Corn/Sugar Blend           Corn-Cracked           Corn-Crimped           Corn-Ground Fine           Corn-Ground Roasted           Corn-Steam Flaked           Corn-Steamed           Corn-Whole           Cottonseed Culled           Cottonseed Hull           Cottonseed Meal           Cottonseed Oil           Cottonseed Whole           Coumaphos           Culled Beans           Danish Fishmeal           Decoquinate           Dextrose           Diamond V Yeast           Disodium Phosphate           Distillers Grains           Dried Apple Pomace           Dried Brewers Yeast           Dried Distillers Milo           Dried Porcine           Dried Whole Milk           Powder           Duralass           Enzyme Booster           Epsom Salts           Erythromycin           Extruded Grain           Extruded Soy Flour           Fat           Feather Meal           Feeding Oatmeal           Fenbendazole           Fermacto           Ferric Chloride           Ferrou Cabonate           Ferrous Carbonate           Ferrous Sulfate           Fine Job&#39;s Tear Bran           Fish Meal           Fish           Flavoring           Folic Acid           French Fry Rejects           Fresh Arome           Fried Wheat Noodles           Gold Dye           Gold Flavor           Grain Dust           Grain Screening           Granite Grit           Grape Pomace           Green Dye           Green Flavor           Guar Gum           Hard Shell           Hemicellulose Extract           Hemp           Herring Meal           Hominy           Hygromycin           Indian Soybean Meal           Iron Oxide-Red           Iron-Oxide Yellow           Job&#39;s Tear Broken Seeds           Kapok Seed Meal           Kelp Meal           Kem Wet           Lactose           Larvadex           Lasalocid           Levams Hcl           Limestone           Linco           Lincomix           Lincomycin           Linseed Meal           Liquid Fish Solubles           Lupins           Lysine           Magnesium           Magnesium Sulfate           Malt Plant By-Products           Manganous Ox           Maple Flavor           Masonex           Meat And Bone Meal           Meat And Bone Meal           Meat Meal           Mepron           Methionine           Millet Screenings           Millet White           Millet-Ground           Milo Binder           Milo-Coarse Ground           Milo-Cracked           Milo-Whole           Mineral Flavor           Mineral Oil           Mixed Blood Meal           Molasses           Molasses Blend           Molasses Dried           Molasses Standard Beet           Molasses Standard Cane           Molasses-Pellet           Mold           Monensin           Monoamonum Phos           Monosodium Glutamate           Monosodium Phosphate           Mung Bean Hulls           Mustard Meal High Fat           Mustard Oil           Mustard Shorts           Narasin           Natuphos           Niacin           Nicarbazin           Nitarsone           Oat Cullets           Oat Flour           Oat Groats           Oat Hulls           Oat Mill Byproducts           Oat Screenings           Oat Whole Cereal           Oatmill Feed           Oats Flaked           Oats-Ground           Oats-Hulless           Oats-Premium           Oats-Rolled           Oats-Whole           Oyster Shell           Paddy Rice           Palm Kernel           Papain           Papain Enzyme           Paprika Spent Meal           Parboiled Broken Rice           Pea By-Product           Pea Flour           Peanut Meal           Peanut Skins           Pelcote Dusting           Phosphate           Phosphoric Acid           Phosphorus           Phosphorus           Defluorinated           Pig Nectar           Plant Waste           Poloxalene           Popcorn           Popcorn Screenings           Porcine Plasma; Dried           Pork Bloodmeal           Porzyme           Posistac           Potassium Bicarbonate           Potassium Carbonate           Potassium Magnesium           Sulfate           Potassium Sulfate           Potato Chips           Poultry Blood/Feather           Meal           Poultry Blood Meal           Poultry Byproduct           Predispersed Clay           Probios           Procain Penicillen           Propionic Acid           Propylene Glycol           Pyran Tart           Pyridoxine           Quest Anise           Rabon           Rapeseed Meal           Red Flavor           Red Millet           Riboflavin           Rice Bran           Rice By-Products           Fractions           Rice Dust           Rice Ground           Rice Hulls           Rice Mill By-Product           Rice Rejects Ground           Roxarsone           Rumen Paunch           Rumensin           Rye           Rye Distillers           Rye With Enzymes           Safflower Meal           Safflower Oil           Safflower Seed           Sago Meal           Salinomycin           Salt           Scallop Meal           Seaweed Meal           Selenium           Shell Aid           Shrimp Byproduct           Silkworms           Sipernate           Sodium Acetate           Sodium Benzoate           Sodium Bicarbonate           Sodium Molybdate           Sodium Sesquicarbonate           Sodium Sulfate           Solulac           Soweena           Soy Flour           Soy Pass           Soy Protein Concentrate           Soybean Cake           Soybean Curd By-           Product           Soybean Dehulled Milk           By-Product           Soybean Hulls           Soybean Mill Run           Soybean Oil           Soybean Residue           Soybeans Extruded           Soybeans-Roasted           Soycorn Extruded           Spray Dried Egg           Standard Micro Premix           Starch Molasses           Steam Flaked Corn           Steam Flaked Wheat           Sugar (Cane)           Sulfamex-Ormeto           Sulfur           Sulfur           Sunflower Meal           Sunflower Seed           Tallow Fancy           Tallow-Die           Tallow-Mixer           Tapioca Meal           Tapioca Promeance           Taurine           Terramycin           Thiabenzol           Thiamine Mono           Threonine           Tiamulin           Tilmicosin           Tomato Pomace           Trace Min           Tricalcium Phosphate           Triticale           Tryptophan           Tryptosine           Tuna Offal Meal           Tylan           Tylosin           Urea           Vegetable Oil Blend           Virginiamycin           Vitamin A           Vitamin B Complex           Vitamin B12           Vitamin D3           Vitamin E           Walnut Meal           Wheat Bran           Wheat Coarse Ground           Wheat Germ Meal           Wheat Gluten           Wheat Meal Shredded           Wheat Millrun           Wheat Mix           Wheat Noodles Low Fat           Wheat Red Dog           Wheat Starch           Wheat Straw           Wheat With Enzyme           Wheat-Ground           Wheat-Rolled           Wheat-Whole           Whey Dried           Whey Permeate           Whey Protein           Concentrate           Whey-Product Dried           Yeast Brewer Dried           Yeast Sugar Cane           Zinc           Zinc Oxide           Zoalene