SPECIAL STORY 54 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2023 the worse the nutritional quality of this ingredient is. Routine analysis of raw materials and selection of your suppliers minimizes undesirable variations. 2. Product quality compared to reference products: When studying the use of alternative ingredients, keep in mind that some of these "new" ingredients may have lower nutritional values compared to the "reference" ingredients (such as corn and soybean meal) and this affects the dynamics of the feed formulation. Simulation of different formulations is the way to clarify these doubts. 3. Nutrient matrix of alternative ingredients: The more accurate the knowledge about the nutrient matrix of the ingredient and the greater the synchrony between the information in the feed formulation and what the chicken is consuming, the lower the chances of yield losses. Determining nutrient digestibility is necessary because the nutritionist relies on digestible nutrients (such as amino acids). 4. Inclusion rates: The gradual use (gradual increase) of these ingredients reduces the possibility of performance losses, especially when we do not have sufficient information about their nutritional characteristics. For inputs with a maximum use recommendation of 5%, a gradual increase of 1%, 3% and 5% is recommended. For inputs with a maximum recommendation of 30%, a gradual increase of 10%, 20% and 30% is recommended. Keep an eye on batch performance within 2-3 weeks of any change in the dietary formula. 5. Price: Together with the nutritional matrix of the ingredients is the determining factor for use in feed formulation. Feed formulation programs are based on minimum cost formulation. Therefore, if the value paid for the nutrients contained in the different ingredients is not attractive, the feed formulation program will not use the ingredient under study. It is important to keep the nutritionist informed about the price variations of the inputs. 6. Quantity available for use: The availability of inputs is important for the feed mill operations and the achievement of lower production costs. The monthly volume available for purchase can determine the maximum inclusion rate. If there is limited availability for purchase, one can choose to maintain the maximum inclusion for a shorter period of use or limit the inclusion rate to use the ingredient for a longer period. These different scenarios can be analyzed through the feed formulation. 7. Stability of the nutritional pattern of the input: For each of the nutrients there are tolerance limits for upward and downward fluctuations and the consequences for the chickens of these fluctuations are known. For example, when we formulate a laying feed for chickens and we consider that we are using soybean meal with 45% of Crude Protein for a formulation with 17% of Crude Protein, but we are receiving and using soybean meal with 40% of Crude Protein and we do not adjust the formulation, we run the risk of offering the hens a lower protein content (for example 15% or less) which we gcan cause loss of productivity. Therefore, monitoring the quality of raw materials is important to minimize risks and helps to establish safe levels of use. 8. Storage care and shelf life: Storage care is also required (such as protection from direct sunlight, in a dry and ventilated place), some characteristics
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