USING THE CFC HORSE RATION FORMULATION 2007 SYSTEM

The CFC Horse Ration Formulation System is a freestanding program that is used to balance feed
components to meet the animals daily requirements. System flexibility allows many and varied
user applications. Intake requirements are guided by the 2007 NRC Nutrient Requirements of
Horses, Sixth Revised Edition. System configuration allows up to 1000 ingredients, 1000
products, and 50 nutrients. All features can be customized to meet the user's approach to horse
nutrition.
It is suggested that the system set-up should proceed in the following order:
defining/refining the nutrients to be used in the Nutrient Maintenance screen (p.3);
defining any desired default Nutrient Ratios (p.5);
creating the ingredients and refining their nutrient profiles in the Ingredient Maintenance
screen (p.6);
setting the system general defaults on the System Options screen; from this same screen,
the user identifies the intermediate ration components that are used to build the total daily
ration (p.8);
defining the individual parameters on the Ration Balancer screen to build the finished
ration (p.11);
To maintain clarity, this guide will follow the order described above. Most of these steps, once
completed, will not need revisiting as each ration is built. How the system is managed, however,
is always at the users discretion.

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Nutrient Definitions
The Nutrient Maintenance screen allows the user to define and activate all of the nutrients
necessary to balance rations. It is also where the default Dietary Nutrient Concentration
requirements (p.14) are assigned for any nutrient. Up to fifty nutrient definitions are allowed.
To access the screen, click the Nutrient Definitions button on the main menu.

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Nutrient Definitions (cont.)

The Nutr No column lists the nutrient numbers.
The Active column requires a check in the box to activate the nutrient for use in the rations.
Nutrients 1-22 are necessary for Daily Intake Requirements and, therefor, cannot be deactivated.

The Nutrient Name column lists the name for the nutrient. Names can be edited.
The Ingredient Units column shows the nutrient units used in the ingredient nutrient profiles and
the Diet Nutrient Concentration (p.14). To change the unit, click in the cell and click on the arrow
button that appears to open the list of available units. Change as desired. CAUTION: All the
ingredients and their nutrient values included with the system are based on the units shown.
Changing the units will not factor the nutrient values in the ingredients. If any units are changed,
all values for that nutrient must be factored manually in all ingredients (see Ingredient
Maintenance p.6).

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Nutrient Definitions (cont.)

The Diet Con(centration) Num(ber of) Decimals column specifies the desired number of decimals
for the nutrient. Change as desired.
The Daily Intake Units column shows the units used when computing the Daily Nutrient Intake
(p.13). These units can be edited for all nutrients except numbers 1-22, again, because they are
necessary for the Daily Intake Requirements (p.13). Click in the cell, click on the arrow, and
choose the desired unit from the menu. The Intake Num(ber of) Decimals column shows the
desired number of decimals used when computing the Daily Nutrient Intake.
The Default Diet Con(centration) Minimum and Maximum columns allow restrictions for the
nutrient that apply to all rations. These restrictions are defined as 100% dry matter. These defaults
can be overridden at the product level.

The Must Meet Limits column requires a checkmark if the Dietary Nutrient Concentration Limits
must be met in the ration solution, regardless of whether any restrictions are entered on this
screen as a default or at the product level. Otherwise, any Dietary Nutrient Concentration Limits
will be treated as Suggestions Only.
The last two columns, Show on Graph and 4-Char Graph Label, are used to design ration charts,
see p.26.

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Nutrient Ratios
From the main menu, click the Nutrient Ratio Definition button to open the Nutrient Ratio
Maintenance screen. When first opened, the table will be blank. In the following example a row
has been completed.
Nutrient Ratios allows the establishment of relationships between nutrients. While these
relationships can be simple ratios, the system allows a greater level of flexibility because neither
units of measure nor absolute inclusion rates are defined. (For example, a ratio between two
nutrients of 1 to 1000 or 10 to 10,000 will produce the same result.)

In this example a check is in the Active column. Activating a nutrient ratio will show the ratio for
every ration but will not require the ration to meet the requirement unless specified in the Must
Meet column. Enter the code number of the first nutrient in the ratio (the numerator), in this case
nutrient 4, Calcium, in the NutrNo column by clicking in the cell and choosing from the listing.
Enter the minimum and/or maximum ratio requirements of this nutrient (numerator) in the
Default Minimum and Default Maximum columns, in this example a minimum of 2 was entered
in the Default Minimum column. (It is not necessary to enter these values if the results are only to
be viewed and not restricted.) In the Per column, enter the ratio per unit value of the second
nutrient (denominator) in the ratio, in this case, 1.
Enter the code number of the second nutrient in the ratio in the NutrNo column by clicking in the
cell and choosing from the list, in this example, nutrient number 5, Phosphorus. The ratio is now
completed a relationship of 2 minimum Calcium per 1 Phosphorus. Delete a nutrient number by
clicking in the cell and selecting the Remove option from the list. Nutrient Ratios can be edited at
the product level (p.18).
In the Must Meet Ratio Requirements column, click a check in the box if the ratio must be met
when solving rations. If there is no check in the box, the ratio will be treated as a suggestion and
the values will show in the ration solution. This default can be overridden at the product level.
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Ingredient Maintenance
From the Main Menu, select the Ingredient Maintenance button to open the Ingredient
Maintenance screen.
The Ingredient Maintenance screen is used to add/edit/delete the ingredients used in building the
rations. Several ingredients are already provided. The system allows a maximum of 1000
ingredients.
Selecting Ingredients
The Get Ingredient button will open the ingredient menu for selecting the ingredient to show on
screen. Click on the desired ingredient and select the Get Ingredient button on the index (or
double-click the ingredient in the list). The First, Previous, Next, and Last buttons can also be
used to scroll through the existing ingredients.
Adding Ingredients
Ingredients are added to the system by clicking the Add Ingredient button, typing a code number
in the popup (up to eight alphanumeric digits), and then entering the name, cost, and stock status
(the Out of Stock status will prevent the ingredient from being included in any least-cost formula
solution). The Round Amount and Group Number are optional fields.

The Round Amount specifies the nearest number, in pounds or kilograms, to which the amount of
this ingredient is rounded in the ration batch reports (p.10). A rounding amount of 1 will round
123.5 pounds to 124 pounds or 123.4 pounds to 123.0 pounds.
The Group Number field allows the user to specify a group number for each ingredient. If the
Show Ingredients by Group Number option is selected on the System Options screen (p.10),
ingredients will be collected and reported on Batch Reports in group number order.

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Ingredient Maintenance (cont.)

The Nutrient Content frame is used to define the nutrient profile of the ingredient - click in the
Value column on the desired nutrient and enter a value. NOTE: all nutrient values are expressed
at 100% Dry Matter.
Copying Ingredients
Ingredients can also be added to the system by copying an existing ingredient. Select the
ingredient to be copied and click the Save As button. Enter an ingredient code in the popup (up to
eight alphanumeric digits). The screen will return with the new ingredient code but all other
information, including the name, will be from the ingredient copied. Edit the data as necessary.

Editing Ingredients
Ingredients are edited by selecting the desired ingredient and entering the new values in any
textbox or nutrient number.
Deleting Ingredients
To delete an ingredient, select the ingredient to be deleted, and click the Delete Ingredient button.
A popup will appear detailing the effects of an ingredient deletion and requesting if the deletion
should continue. Select Yes to complete the deletion, No to cancel. Caution is advised when
ingredients are deleted because the process is irreversible.
Printing Ingredients
Click the Print button to show the ingredient information in a graphical format. Click the printer
icon found in the left center above the table to execute the print. Click the OK button to return to
the ingredient screen.

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System Set-Up/Options
From the Main Menu, click the System Set-Up/Options button to open the System
Options screen.
The System Options screen is used to define the general system default settings, the ration
components settings that will build the finished ration, and the ration report controls.
The General tab
The Your Company Name and Address frame identifies the name and address of the
manufacturer. This information will appear (optionally) in the header of all printed reports. Type
in the desired text.
Select the Ingredient Cost Units from the options shown.

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System Set-Up/Options (cont.)

The Ration Component Controls tab
The Ration Component Controls tab shows three additional tabs labeled Ration 1, 2, and 3. These
components are used to build the finished ration in the CFC Horse - Ration Balancer screen
(p.14).
The Ration ID identifies each component. Enter the desired ID in the textbox. A name can be
entered in the Name box.

A default list of ingredients can be identified for each of the three components. Ingredients are
added to the list by clicking the Add Ingredient button and selecting from the popup index, and
removed from the list by clicking a check mark in the Remove column. The default ingredient
lists are completely optional and are used to automatically populate the list of ingredients shown
in each ration component when you are adding new feeding programs to the system. The
ingredient selection for each component can be edited at the product level (p.14).
The Report Controls/Overrides frame instructs the system to print a batch report for the
component shown, and allows overrides to the batch size and number of decimals specified on the
Batch Report frame of the Printed Report Controls tab (see p.10). Also allowed is the option to
include any subsequent component/s as ingredients on the batch sheet of the component shown.

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System Set-Up/Options (cont.)

The Printed Report Controls tab
From the Detail Ration Reports frame, select the information that will be shown on the individual
ration reports (p.22).
The Batch Reports frame refers to the optional batch report for each ration component (p.23).
This report is intended for plant use in manufacturing concentrates and premixes. The settings
allow for:
the default plant batch size - enter the desired number.
the default number of decimals to be shown on all batch reports unless there is an
override entered for a ration component - enter the desired number of decimals.
several options for defining ingredient order.
the option to round the ingredient amounts when printing the batch report and the amount
of the rounding.
the option to show your company name on the report.
the option to show ingredients by group number (see Ingredient Maintenance, p.6).
the option to show an ingredient accumulation column by component.
the option to reset the accumulation column by group, e.g., if ingredient groups are used,
the accumulation column will restart for each group.

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Balance Ration
The Animal Specifications and Daily Ration button opens the Ration Balancer screen. From this
screen, finished rations are built to individual customer specifications.
There are two tabs directly beneath the top row of buttons:
The Animal Type and Specifications tab shows the default Animal Type (Adult
Maintenance), default Activity (Average Activity), and default Size (1200 lbs). These can
be changed by clicking the Change Animal Specs button

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Balance Ration (cont.)

and, in the popup that appears, entering a weight in the Horse Size (Mature Body Weight)
textbox, and typing in the Daily Intake Level (Dry Matter) expressed as a percent of body weight,
then select the desired type and activity from the options shown. Click the OK button and the
screen will fill with the designated parameters. The intake percent will default to the NRC
number for the animal type and activity level, but can be overridden by typing the desired number
in the box.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

The Prepared For tab allows a customer name and address to be appended to the ration.

The Animal Requirements frame contains two tabs, the Daily Intake Requirements tab, and the
Diet Nutrient Concentration tab.
The Daily Intake Requirements tab shows:
The pounds of Dry Matter Intake at 100% DM in the Req'd column. This number is
generated from the intake specified as a percent of the body weight (see p.12). As the
ration is built (or after solving), the Ration column will reflect the solution values.
The Daily Nutrient Intake table. The Required column (Req'd) lists the requirements of
the nutrients as determined by the 2007 NRC predictive equations for the specified horse
type, activity level, and weight. (These values can be overridden by clicking a check in
the Lock column, selecting the cell in the Total Req'd column and typing in the desired
number. The Lock All button will enter a check in the Lock column for all nutrients; the
Unlock All will remove the check from all). As the ration is built (or after solving), the
Ration Total column reflects the solution values. The +/- column shows the difference
between the two columns.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

The Diet Nutrient Concentration tab shows the Total Ration Nutrient Concentration
Requirements on a 100% dry matter basis. A value can be entered in any cell in the
Min Req'd or Max Allowed columns, see below. Any default values entered in Nutrient
Maintenance (in either the Default Diet Conc Minimum and or Maximum columns) will be
showing (see p.4).

The three tabs in the Daily Feed Intake frame are the components as identified in the Ration
Component Controls tab of the System Set-Up/Options screen (in this example the components
are identified as Forages, Concentrates, and Supplements). Each component will show the
ingredients selected, if any, on the Ration Component Controls tab (p.9). To edit the ingredients
in any component, choose a component, click the Add Ingredient button, and select from the
popup. Click in the Remove column to remove an ingredient from a ration component.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

After the ingredients are added to one or more components, the finished ration can be completed
two different ways:
Method 1:
For each component, enter values in the Lbs Fed column of any listed ingredient as amounts per
head. As ingredient amounts are entered, the nutrient values in the Ration Total column of the
Daily Nutrient Intake table reflect the ingredient's contribution to the nutrient totals. Continue
adjusting the ingredients until a satisfactory nutrient profile is shown in the Ration Total column.

As the ration is built (or solved) the Daily Ration Totals table will fill in with the component
solution amounts and costs.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

Method 2
The formula can be optimized by clicking the Formulate button to return the most economical
ingredient mix based on the ingredients offered, their cost, the Daily Nutrient Intake
specifications for the desired animal type, weight, and activity level, and the must meet nutrient
restrictions specified in Nutrient Definitions, and/or Nutrient Ratios.
This method can be further enhanced two ways:
1. Clicking the Set Limits button to open the Feeding Program Intake and Usage Limits
screen (see next page)

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Balance Ration (cont.)

and specifying any minimum and/or maximum bounds on any of the ingredients and/or
components. For each restriction a Limit Type must be chosen from the list - click in the column
and chose from pounds, % of component, or % of Total, either as fed or 100% dry matter.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

2. The second enhancement option is to select the Diet Nutrient Concentration tab and enter
values in the Min Req'd and Max Allowed columns on a 100% Dry Matter Basis. The
units are as specified in the Nutrient Maintenance screen (p.4). NOTE: for these values to
be honored when the ration is balanced, a check must be showing in the Ration Total
Must Meet column of the Nutrient Maintenance screen (p.4).

Click the Show Nutrient Ratios button to show the active nutrient ratios (this button will not be
showing if there are no active ratios). Continued on following page.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

The resulting popup will show the ratio results (in the Ration Amount column) and the default
settings for the ratios. Clicking a check in the Override box and entering the new values in the
Minimum and Maximum columns can override the defaults.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

Reports
Click the Print Reports button to show two additional buttons labeled Detail Ration Reports and
Batch Reports

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Balance Ration (cont.)

The formatting and default settings for these reports is set on the Printed Report Controls tab of
the System Options screen (p.10).
Click the Detail Ration Report button to open a printable report of the solution. The report
contains the complete results of the solution. Click the Batch Report button for the batch reports.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

Ration Detail Report
The number of pages in the report is shown in the upper left corner. Click on the arrows to scroll
through the report.
Click the printer icon to print the report. The report screen will allow two additional print options:
The Copy to Clipboard button will transfer all the data to the Clipboard for subsequent
pasting into the desired application.
The Print to File button will save the data as a text file that is automatically stored in the
HRS Data folder (typically C:\CFCHRS\DATA). The destination folder may be changed
as desired.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

Batch Report
Shown below is a copy of a batch report for the Supplements component of our example ration.
The report properties are as described for the Ration Detail report.

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Balance Ration (cont.

Storing/Recalling Rations
Rations can be identified and saved for recall. After setting the ration specifications and effecting
the desired solution, click the Save button.

In the popup that appears, enter a product code (up to eight alphanumeric characters) and a
product name (up to 40 alphanumeric characters). Then click the Save button on the popup. A
maximum of 1000 products can be stored.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

Any stored ration can be recalled by clicking the Get Stored Ration button and choosing from the
product index that appears. After product selection, the ration can be edited, saved again (click
the Save button), or deleted (click the Delete button).

Copy Rations
Rations can be copied by recalling the ration to be copied and clicking the Save button. In the
popup that appears, enter a new code number and name, and click the Save button on the popup.
The popup will disappear and the screen will show the ration copied from. Click the Get Product
button to open the product index and choose the formula just created to edit.
Click the New Ration button to clear the screen and create a new formula.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

Charts
Any nutrient can be displayed on a bar chart showing the contribution from each component or
individual ingredient.
From the main menu, select the Nutrient Definitions button to open the Nutrient Maintenance
screen. To include a nutrient on the chart, click a check in the box in the Show on Graph column.
Then enter a graph label, up to four characters, in the 4-Char Graph Label column.
In addition to the entries on this screen, there must be a minimum requirement for the nutrient on
the ration in order for the nutrient to be included on the graph. This minimum requirement will be
either the minimum daily requirement if the nutrient is one of the Daily Requirement Nutrients
(nutrients 1-22), or the Dietary Nutrient Concentration minimum requirement for all other
nutrients. The default for the Dietary Nutrient Concentration limits is set in the Default Diet Con
Minimum column. This default can be overridden in the Balance Ration screen (see p.14). Again,
these minimums are specified at 100% dry matter.

There is no limit on the number of nutrients specified for inclusion on the graph. However, be
advised that if a large number of nutrients are included, the bars on the graph will most likely be
too narrow to be read.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

There are several options available for displaying and printing the charts. Click the Chart button
to open the chart options popup (see next page).

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Balance Ration (cont.)

Choose the desired options for the display and the printed report. Then click the Show Chart
button to process the chart (see next page).

The default maximum of the Y-axis of the chart is 300%. To extend this, enter the desired
maximum in the box labeled Truncate Y-Axis Total Percent of Requirements above a Maximum
Percentage value of.

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Balance Ration (cont.)

This example shows the Daily Nutrient Requirements Chart Options selected on p.28. Click the
Print button to generate the report print (see next page).

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Balance Ration (cont.)

The report is on one page. This report shows the rations individual ingredients and their
amounts

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Balance Ration (cont.)

then the bar chart

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Balance Ration (cont.)

then the daily nutrients supplied.
Note the comments on some of the nutrients. The triggers set in the report format shown on p.28
generated these comments.
Print the report by clicking on the Printer icon.

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