Producers are turning to mobile and Web-based decision-making tools in increasing numbers to better manage their businesses. To assist livestock producers in evaluating feed options, a  Feed Cost Calculator  was developed as an app for iOS, Android, and Web-based platforms. Mobile applications are a viable alternative to spreadsheet tools to address the needs of Extension clientele; however, there are certain inherent limitations to using mobile technology that must be considered

Renelt, Tracey E

Rusche, Warren C

English

Clemson University: TigerPrints

Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock

The Journal of Extension Volume 52 Number 2 Article 31 4-1-2014 Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock Warren C. Rusche South Dakota State University, warren.rusche@sdstate.edu Tracey E. Renelt South Dakota State University, tracey.renelt@sdstate.edu This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Rusche, W. C., & Renelt, T. E. (2014). Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock. The Journal of Extension, 52(2), Article 31. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol52/iss2/31 This Tools of the Trade is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Journal of Extension by an authorized editor of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact kokeefe@clemson.edu. April 2014Volume 52Number 2Article # 2TOT3Tools of the TradeMobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the MostEconomical Feedstuffs for LivestockAbstractProducers are turning to mobile and Web-based decision-making tools in increasing numbers to bettermanage their businesses. To assist livestock producers in evaluating feed options, a "Feed CostCalculator" was developed as an app for iOS, Android, and Web-based platforms. Mobile applicationsare a viable alternative to spreadsheet tools to address the needs of Extension clientele; however,there are certain inherent limitations to using mobile technology that must be considered.  IntroductionFeed costs represent the largest expense for both beef (Garrard & Glaze, 2008) and dairy (USDA,2013) enterprises. Those expenses have increased dramatically in recent years. Widespread droughtconditions in recent years have exacerbated market conditions for feedstuffs. Many producers areconsidering purchasing feedstuffs they are unfamiliar with feeding, such as commodity by-products.Choosing between different feed options is not always simple. Factors such as shipping costs,moisture content, and differing nutrient compositions can complicate the decision-making process.Historically, as technology has changed Extension has developed tools to assist producers with thosedecisions, ranging from hand-held programmable calculators (Campbell, 1979) to modernspreadsheet applications (Howard & Shaver, 1997).The advent of the smartphone and mobile technology is moving the decision-making process awayfrom the office. This trend has significant implications regarding program delivery and outreachefforts for Extension as it responds to clientele needs (Drill, 2012). According to a survey of farmersconducted by Successful Farming magazine in 2011, 43% of farmers with a mobile phone use asmart phone (Walter, 2011). An August 2012 survey of farmers attending the Dakotafest trade showin Mitchell, SD showed that 76% of respondents either owned or planned on buying a smartphone ortablet within 12 months (E. Tschetter, personal communication).Application DevelopmentWarren C. RuscheSDSU ExtensionCow/Calf FieldSpecialistWarren.Rusche@sdstate.eduTracey E. ReneltSDSU Extension DairyField SpecialistTracey.Renelt@sdstate.eduSouth Dakota StateUniversityWatertown, SouthDakotaThe Feed Cost Calculator app was developed to help producers efficiently compare two feedstuffs ona cost-per-nutrient basis, taking into account differences in moisture content, nutrient composition,and transportation expenses. The initial tool was written as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and thendeveloped into applications for both the Android and iOS platforms by the South Dakota StateUniversity Office of Information Technology. The applications were then made available as freedownloads from the Google Play Store and iTunes, respectively. The Feed Cost Calculator is alsoavailable as a Web-based spreadsheet tool at iGrow.org (Renelt & Rusche, 2012).Data EntryWhen the application is launched, the first screen that appears shows the feeds that are available tocompare (Figure 1). The app is populated with a built-in library of feeds commonly utilized in theupper mid-west. Default values for nutrient composition for these feeds were are also included(Preston, 2012). Users can override these values based on their own analyses or add additionalfeedstuffs.Figure 1.The data entry screens for two example feedstuffs are shown in Figures 2-5. The available data fieldsare as follows:Cost of the feed (required)Size of the unit being purchased (required)Shipping costs (optional)Tools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 2Percent dry matter (required)At least one of the following nutrient values is required:Percent crude proteinPercent TDNNet Energy for maintenanceNet Energy for gainNet Energy for lactationIn these examples, all the nutrient composition fields are utilized, however if for example the userwas only interested in crude protein, the energy fields could be left blank.Figure 2.Figure 3.Tools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 3Figure 4.Figure 5.Tools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 4Data OutputAfter the data for the feedstuffs are entered and saved, two feeds can then be selected andcompared. The nutrients for which a feedstuff is a better buy are highlighted in green on the outputscreen (Figures 6 and 7). In this example, modified DDGS (dried distillers grains with solubles) offersa more economical source of dietary energy than would alfalfa hay, while alfalfa is the cheapersource of crude protein. The breakeven price is also shown. In this case, if modified DDGS cost lessthan $104.63 per ton before shipping costs, it would be the more economical source of crude protein(Figure 6). Selecting the double arrow icon would reverse the feeds selected as shown in Figure 7.Doing so in this example would show that alfalfa hay would have to cost less than $127.87 per tonbefore shipping in order to be a more economical source of total digestible nutrients (TDN).Figure 6.Tools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 5Figure 7.Feed Cost Calculator Application UsageThe total number of downloads by platform and the number of Web page visits as of July 2013 areshown in Table 1 (L. Gerard, personal communication, 2013). The application was advertised andTools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 6promoted through SDSU Extension's iGrow.org website, as well as through social media and nationaland regional media outlets. Recently the application was named as one of the top ten businessapplications for farmers by Agriculture.com (Looker, 2013).Table 1.Downloads and Page Views by PlatformPlatform Downloads/Page ViewsAndroid 1491iOS 1492iGrow.org web page 1396LimitationsThe application is designed to compare feeds based on single nutrients. Some nutritionists suggestthat simultaneously using the price per unit of protein and energy is a more accurate method todetermine the true value of a feedstuff (Garcia & Diaz-Royon, 2012), particularly for by-productfeeds that are relatively high in both energy and protein. However, this would require the user toenter two additional reference feedstuffs (typically corn and soybean meal) in order to establish thevalue of a unit of energy and protein.While using both protein and energy simultaneously is a more accurate measure of true value, thisapplication is designed as a quick tool for use on handheld devices. Many times a user simply needsto know the least expensive source of either dietary protein or energy. Where a more in-depthanalysis is required, this app can be used as a preliminary tool to determine if a more robustexamination is warranted.SummaryModern livestock production continues to become more challenging and complex. In order to meetthese challenges, progressive livestock producers will expect advanced decision making tools thatreflect their use of technology. Extension will need to adapt to this changing environment to meetthe needs of this clientele base.AcknowledgmentsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following individuals:Emery Tschetter, SDSU Extension Director of Communication & MarketingLindsey Gerard, SDSU Extension iGrow Technology CoordinatorSDSU Office of Information TechnologyErik EbsenTools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 7Daniel JamisonTerry MolengraafSandeep PatelReferencesCampbell, J. K. (1979). Little package, big deal. Journal of Extension [On-line], 17(3). Available at:http://www.joe.org/joe/1979may/79-3-a7.pdfDrill, S. L. (2012). Mobile applications for Extension. Journal of Extension [On-line], 50(5) Article5TOT1. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2012october/tt1.php Garcia, A., & Diaz-Royon, F. (2012). Consider protein, energy when pricing low-fat DDGS.Feedstuffs, 84, 10-11. Retrieved from:http://fdsmagissues.feedstuffs.com/fds/PastIssues/FDS8431/fds10_8431.pdf &http://fdsmagissues.feedstuffs.com/fds/PastIssues/FDS8431/fds11_8431.pdfGarrard, R. M., & Glaze, J. B. (2008). Supplement allows ranchers to eliminate hay feeding andreduce winter feed costs. Journal of Extension [On-line], 46(3) Article 3IAW6. Available at:http://www.joe.org/joe/2008june/iw6.phpHoward, W. T., & Shaver, R. D. (1997). FEEDVAL: Comparative values calculated from crude protein,TDN, Ca and P referee feeds used to calculate value of nutrients. Retrieved from:http://www.uwex.edu/ces/dairynutrition/documents/FEEDVALComparativeweb.xlsLooker, D. (2013). Business apps. Retrieved from: http://www.agriculture.com/farm-management/technology/business-apps_322-ar30214Preston, R. L. (2012). 2012 feed composition tables. Retrieved from:http://beefmagazine.com/datasheet/2012-feed-composition-tablesRenelt, T. E., & Rusche, W. C. (2012). Feedstuff cost comparison. Retrieved from:http://igrow.org/livestock/beef/feedstuff-cost-comparison/Walter, J. (2011). More smartphones go to the field this spring. Retrieved from:http://www.agriculture.com/news/technology/me-smartphones-go-to-field-this-spring_6-ar15872USDA. Economic Research Service. (2013). U.S. Monthly dairy costs of production. Retrieved from:http://www.ers.usda.gov/datafiles/Milk_Cost_of_Production_Estimates/Milk_CostofProduction_Estimates2010_Base/Monthly/nationalmonthlymilkcop2010base.xlsCopyright © by Extension Journal, Inc. ISSN 1077-5315. Articles appearing in the Journal become theTools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 8property of the Journal. Single copies of articles may be reproduced in electronic or print form for usein educational or training activities. Inclusion of articles in other publications, electronic sources, orsystematic large-scale distribution may be done only with prior electronic or written permission of theJournal Editorial Office, joe-ed@joe.org.If you have difficulties viewing or printing this page, please contact JOE Technical SupportTools of the Trade Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock JOE 52(2)©2014 Extension Journal Inc. 9

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Mobile and Web-Based Applications to Determine the Most Economical Feedstuffs for Livestock

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