Optimising the feeding schedule
Many broiler producers do not have the opportunity of having feeds mixed according to their specifications, but make use of proprietary feeds. An almost infinite variety of options is open to such producers in designing their feeding schedule, which can be based on amounts fed in each period or on fixed feeding periods for each feed. The optimum feeding schedule is dependent on the composition of the feeds, their respective prices, the revenue to be derived from the sale of the broilers, and many other biological and economic considerations.
To use this tool, select your optimiser flock, and go to the Feeding programme tab.
Because the feeds themselves are not adjusted during the optimisation process, there are far fewer inputs for this method. For each feed in the schedule, decide whether the feeding period or amount should be fixed or may change. The options are as follows:
- Time items:
- Fixed end day – the feed will be fed until the given day
- Range – allows the optimiser to vary the number of days that this feed should be fed
- Fixed period – the feed will be fed for the specified number of days
- Amount fed items:
- Fixed amount – a specific amount of this feed is fed
- Range – allows the optimiser to vary the amount to feed within the specified range
To change these settings, click on the 
button in the Change column, and edit the settings in the new window as needed.
Enter the number of points to consider for each feed.
Once all inputs have been set up, click the Solve button on the bottom toolbar. Note that this button is only enabled if one input item of each type has been dragged down to the flock.