By Scout Nelson
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a useful tool in agriculture. It helps organize information, identify possible problems, and support better decisions. In livestock production, feed management is especially important because feed is one of the largest costs for farmers.
Losses during harvest, storage, mixing, transport, and feeding can reduce the amount of feed animals use and lower farm profits. The National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP) is developing a new tool to help producers understand these risks and improve their daily feed management practices.
The project involves Hector Menendez, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Livestock Grazing Specialist, along with Jordan M. Adams, Julia T. Silva, Karun Kaniyamattam, and Luis O. Tedeschi. Their work focuses on making research and modern technology useful for livestock producers.
The team is developing an interactive application called the Feed Value Loss Risk Assessment Tool. It uses research findings, expert knowledge, and machine learning to help users assess conditions that may increase feed value loss.
How the Feed Risk Tool Works
The tool brings several feed management factors together to estimate the relative risk of losing feed quantity or usable nutritional value. These losses can happen at different stages, including harvesting, storage, handling, mixing, delivery, and feeding. Problems during any of these stages may reduce the amount of useful feed available to livestock.
The application uses a machine-learning method called a Random Forest model. This method considers several factors at the same time to produce an overall risk assessment. Its risk framework draws on published research and expert knowledge. By combining these sources of information, the tool helps users understand how different management choices may affect feed value.
Silage is the first feed type receiving detailed attention in the tool. Silage is made from crops that are stored and preserved for animal feed. The application is also designed to assess risks related to hay and grains. This wider use may help different livestock operations review their feeding systems.
Exploring Different Management Choices
Users will be able to enter information about crop harvest and processing, storage, feed handling, loading and mixing, delivery, and feed bunk management. The tool then combines these details into a simple risk assessment. Instead of studying every factor separately, producers can review an overall score and explore how different choices affect the result.
For example, a user can change selected management conditions and see how the risk score responds. Comparing different scenarios may help identify practices that need more attention. This gives producers a way to explore possible improvements before deciding which changes are most suitable for their farms.
It is important to understand what the score means. It shows the relative risk linked to the selected management conditions. It does not show the exact percentage or amount of feed lost. A higher score means the conditions are linked to a greater relative risk of feed value loss. Producers can use the score to compare options and decide which areas may need closer review.
Why Reducing Feed Loss Matters
Feed losses can affect both farm costs and animal nutrition. When feed loses quantity or nutritional value, producers may need to use more feed to meet their animals' needs. This can increase costs and reduce the value of the feed they purchase or produce.
Even small losses can add up when they occur throughout the feeding process. Better management during harvest, storage, mixing, and delivery can help protect more of the feed's value. Identifying possible risks is an important first step toward reducing waste and making better use of available resources.
The main purpose of the tool is not simply to bring artificial intelligence onto farms. It is to make complex information easier to understand and use. The tool supports decision-making, but it does not replace practical experience or expert advice. Its results help users identify possible concerns that deserve further attention.
Expert Guidance Turns Results into Action
After reviewing the tool's results, producers can discuss their findings with a feed management expert. Members of the NANP Feed Management Committee, along with trained Extension staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service professionals, livestock nutrition specialists, and other agricultural experts, can help interpret the results.
These professionals can help producers decide which risks matter most for their operations. They can also suggest practical ways to improve feed handling and management. Since farms differ in their animals, feed types, equipment, and storage systems, recommendations should fit each operation's needs and conditions.
Combining a risk assessment with expert guidance can help producers make informed changes instead of relying on the score alone.
Supporting the Future of Livestock Production
The Feed Value Loss Risk Assessment Tool reflects NANP's effort to connect animal nutrition research, technology, and agricultural expertise. As development and evaluation continue, the goal is to help producers identify risks, reduce avoidable feed losses, protect feed value, and improve profitability.
Farmers, Extension professionals, planners, and researchers can learn more through the NANP website and its Feed Management Committee. The program provides access to factsheets, reports, and decision-support resources that support better livestock feeding practices.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jesp62
Categories: South Dakota, Livestock