Feeding Protocol Edit Window

This window is where you set up the behavior of a feeding protocol. See Feeding Protocols for more general information about feeding protocols.

General

Name. Feeding protocols are referred to by name which must be unique.
Is Active. Once a feeding protocol has been assigned a pen, it cannot be deleted. If you don't want it to appear in lists where feeding protocols are chosen, uncheck this field.
Location. Like rations, a feeding protocol can be restricted for use at only one location if you choose a location using this field. To allow the protocol to be used at any location, select Any Location.

Steps

A feeding protocol must have at least one step and usually has multiple steps. Each step has its own set of rations, bunk call increase logic, and the logic for moving to the next step. Click the + button to add a new step. Click the - button to remove the selected step. With a step selected you can modify its properties which are to the right of the Step list.

Rations Used While On This Step

Each step must have at least one ration associated with it. If there is only one ration associated with the step, Fusion will suggest that ration for the entire time the pen is on this step. With multiple rations, Fusion will suggest each ration in a rotating fashion, starting with the first and staying on each ration for the number of days entered in the Days on Ration column. If the last ration is finished and the pen is still on this step, Fusion goes back to the first ration and repeats the cycle If you do have multiple rations associated with a step, each ration must be unique. (The same ration can be used in multiple steps, however.)

Click the + button to add a new ration. Click the - button to remove a ration. Double-click the name of the ration in the Ration column to change a ration. Double-click a value in the Days on Ration column to change it.

Note that if you have imported a feeding protocol from a different feedlot, you will likely have to change the rations to your own rations by double-clicking each one and choosing the correct one. Unknown rations are shown in red.

How Bunk Calls Are Suggested

This section is used to tell Fusion how you want it to suggest increases in bunk calls while on this step. This can be done by driving bunk calls based on bunk scores or by a desired gain per day.

Base bunk calls on bunk score. With this option selected, Fusion will adjust the bunk call based on the bunk score given the pen when the bunk call is made. This is done according to a formula you indicate to Fusion by changing the values in the list associated with this option. When you choose a particular score for a pen during a bunk call, the values you enter in the score row in this list will be used in the formula which determine what bunk call to suggest. The basic formula can be thought of as this: when bunk score x is entered, if the same bunk score has been recorded for n consecutive days and if it has been m days since the last bunk call change, then change the current bunk call by y%. To make a change to any value in the list, double-click it.
- New Score. This column isn't editable, but shows which bunk score (x in the formula above) is associated with the values on this row.
- Consecutive Bunk Score Days. This value is n in the formula above. Fusion looks to see how many consecutive days this bunk score has been given to this pen, including the current day since it's the score you're giving the pen right now..
- Days Since Last DM Bunk Call Change. m in the formula above. Fusion will looks to see how many days previous to the current day the bunk call has been the same..
- Change Bunk Call By. This value is y from the formula and should be a percentage. If the previous tests were true, Fusion will suggest a new bunk call that is this percentage different from the current bunk call (meaning the most recent accepted bunk call). When you enter a positive percentage, the bunk call will be increased. A negative percentage will cause the bunk call to decrease.
Base bunk calls on desired gain per day. With this option chosen, Fusion will suggest bunk calls that will achieve a desired gain per day. Enter the desired gain per day in the Desired Gain/Day field. The calculation is based on the type of cattle in the pen, the ration assigned the pen, their current weight, all using NRC equations.

If you don't want Fusion to suggest bunk calls while on this step, choose the Base bunk calls on bunk scores option and set all the values in the Bunk Call Change column to zero. This will have the same affect as not suggesting a bunk call.

Recommend Moving to Next Step Criteria

You can move a pen to the next step in a protocol whenever you want or Fusion can suggest the next step based on the various criteria in this section.

Prefer moving to next step on feeding pass. When changing a protocol step, it normally happens as soon as you accept the bunk call. However, it is possible to delay the change until a certain feeding pass of the day. If you want the movement from this step to happen on a certain feeding step, enter the step number here. This can be overriden during the bunk call so this is just the default.
Transition to next step when ... of the following are true. The chosen criteria below must be true before Fusion will suggest moving to the next step. Only the criteria you check will be evaluated. If more than one criteria are checked you can choose whether any of them evaluating to true is sufficient to move to the next step or if they must all evaluate to true before the move. Choose Any or All here as desired.
Days on step is >= ... days. For this criteria to evaluate to true, the pen must have been on this step for at least as many days as you enter here. Today is not counted as part of this. Also, days where the protocol was suspended at the end of the day do not count.
Yesterday's bunk call is >= ... lb/hd (DM). This criteria evaluates to true if the last bunk call made yesterday for this pen is more than or equal to the value you enter here.
Yesterday's DMI as %BW is >= ... %. If yesterday's dry matter intake as a percentage of body weight is more than or equal to the value you enter here, this criteria will be true.
Bunk call increase <= ... lb over previous ... days. This criteria will evaluate to true if yesterday's bunk call minus a previous day's bunk call (based on the number of days you enter) is less than or equal to the value you enter here.
Yesterday's animal weight is >= ... lb. Evaluates to true if yesterday's animal weight is more than or equal to the value you enter here.
Estimated slaughter date is in <= ... days. When the estimated slaughter date for the principle lot in the pen is less than or equal to the number of days you enter here, this criteria will evaluate to true.

Saving Changes

Click the Save button when you are finished making changes to the feeding protocol. If any pens are currently assigned this protocol, the changes you just made will take affect the next time a bunk call is made for the pen, assuming the truck making the bunk call has synced since the change. Or you can click the Cancel button to have Fusion ignore any changes you just made.

Bunk Score Values

The bunk score system in Fusion is from 1-5 (or 0 if no score is given) as follows:

0. No bunk score given.
1. Slick bunks, lots of interest.
2. Slick bunks, little interest.
3. Ideal.
4. 5-10% of feed remaining.
5. >10% of feed remaining.

Getting Here

You can open this window by creating or editing a feeding protocol from the Feeding Protocol List window.