The Beef Cattle Research Council says CowBytes is once again available.
The ration-balancing software allows cattle producers to formulate their own feed rations while considering various combinations of feed and byproducts at different prices, and in doing so, can find a way to reduce feed costs while still meeting production targets.
Ensuring that cattle are fed a balanced ration can also save producers on feed costs in the long run by preventing over- or under-feeding.
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The program allows producers to select the type and breeds of cattle they want to feed, then select productivity levels based on body weight, average daily gain, body condition score and the stage of gestation or milk production in cows. Producers can also adjust for climatic conditions such as wind or temperature that affect nutritional requirements.
CowBytes comes with a feed table based on the average value of Alberta feeds. After selecting a chosen feed(s) from the feed table, users can modify the nutrient content of the feed to match their own feed test results.
Custom feeding and feed inventory reports can also be generated. These features can help make decisions about purchasing feed in advance or selling animals to match feed inventory with cattle requirements.
A yardage calculator is included, where producers can enter their facility, equipment and operating costs (such as insurance, taxes, veterinary services, labour, fuel, utilities, repairs), along with the number of cattle and the number of days on feed to determine the yardage costs per head per day.
CowBytes version 5.4 is available for purchase at beefresearch.ca/CowBytes. Version 5.4 contains no significant upgrades from the previous version released in 2012. All proceeds will fund future CowBytes upgrades.
