**1. Introduction**

The primary goal of ration formulation in animal production is to offer a balanced diet that supports physiological functions such as growth, maintenance, reproduction, and lactation while also providing energy for physical and metabolic activity [1]. A standard and efficient feed formulation must include all the classes of feedstuffs (Animal Nutrition Group, India) [2] as provided in **Figure 1**.

A concentrate is a feed or feed mixture that provides increased levels of primary nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) while containing less than 18 percent

#### **Figure 1.**

*Different classes of standard feedstuff must be included in the feed formulation according to animal nutrition group, India.*

crude fiber (CF) and low moisture. These are high in nitrogen-free extract (NFE) and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) and low in crude fiber [3]. There are classified into two categories: energy-rich concentrates and protein-rich concentrates, based on the content of crude protein (CP). When the crude protein content of dry concentrates is less than 18 percent, they are categorized as energy-rich concentrates, and when the CP value is greater than 18 percent, they are defined as protein-rich concentrates [4, 5].

Roughages are heavy foods that contain substantially less digestible material, such as crude fiber greater than 18% and a low TDN content (about 60%) on a dry basis. Roughages differ in the level of protein, mineral, and vitamin composition. Some roughages, particularly legumes, are good suppliers of calcium and magnesium [6]. The phosphorus concentration is likely to be moderate to low, whereas the potassium content is likely to be high, these concentrations are affected by the plant species, soil, and fertilization strategies all have an impact on trace minerals. Roughages are categorized into two classes based on moisture content: dry and green or succulent roughages [7]. Green roughages often have 60–90 percent moisture, while dry roughages have just 10–15 percent moisture. Green roughages are divided into several types for ease of use, including pasture, produced fodder crops, tree leaves, and roots. Based on the nutritional content and preparation methods, dry roughages have been further categorized as hay and straw [8].

*Design and Development of Self-Made Cost-Effective Microsoft Excel Visual Basic… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102470*

Minerals available in the feeds are of different types i.e., Micro minerals, macro minerals and chelated minerals. Microminerals, also known as trace minerals, are needed in milligrams (mg) or microgram (g) quantities [9]. They're found in trace amounts in animal tissues and feeds. They're frequently found in enzyme cofactors and hormones. Cobalt, iodine, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium are examples of micro or trace minerals. Macro-minerals play a specific role in the formation and function of the animal's body. Animals require the following seven macro-minerals: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl) [10]. Chelated minerals are a class of organic minerals that are divided into proteinates, chelates, and other complexes based on their molecular structure [11]. A chelated mineral is one that has two or more chemical interactions with peptides or amino acids, such as copper or zinc. Each one has a different level of absorption and effectiveness.

The National Research Council has studied nutrient requirements based on several criteria such as dry matter intake (DMI), total digestible nutrients (TDN), crude protein (CP), metabolic energy (ME), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and other elements that affect intake and techniques of prediction [12]. The entire weight of feed minus the weight of water in the feed is expressed as a percentage and is known as dry matter. In feeding studies, dry matter intake is determined by weighing the whole ration supplied and the amount of feed left by the animal [13]. The term "total digestible nutrients" stems from an old system of calculating available energy in feeds and animal energy requirements using a complex calculation of measured nutrients. The whole amount of protein present, determined from the total nitrogen available, is referred to as a crude protein. The percent nitrogen is multiplied by 6.25 to get the percent protein. The digestible energy intake minus the energy in the urine minus the energy in the gaseous result of digestion equals the metabolizable energy. Calcium is required for bone formation, neuron function, and the production of milk and eggs in animals. Phosphorus is also included in a wide range of co-enzymes, nucleic acids, proteins and amino acids [14].

It is essential to know the significance of these nutrients in animal feed. Animal disease control, as well as feed and fodder shortages, are the most pressing issues in animal husbandry. Farmers frequently encounter the following issues.


Animal nutrition is necessary for livestock production to be effective. Animal feed efficiency and growth rate can both benefit from good nutrition. Diets that meet the demands of animals must be provided.

This work used goats to fully understand nutritional needs and feed composition through the use of a visual basic application. The three phases of the study are explained in this chapter, the first phase is the selection of feeds and understanding their nutrient composition. The second part involves determining which nutrients are important for animals and creating nutrient equations. The third phase entails the establishment of a linear programming model, followed by the design of the interface.

#### **2. Material and methods**

#### **2.1 Data collection**

Goats can grow well and produce maximum milk if balanced and nutritious food is fed [15]. A balanced ration should contain digestible nutrients, vitamins, and

minerals, including concentrate feeds and green and dry roughages. The feed list was created based on the most commonly used feeds, fodders and its nutrient composition was used as per ICAR (2013) given in **Table 1**.
