New Calculator to Use with Feed Contingency Planning Publication

By Mark Storlie and Sherry Hoyer

A recent publication from the Iowa Pork Industry Center on contingency planning regarding feed now has an accompanying calculator and information sheet to assist producers in preparing for the unexpected. The publication IPIC 208A was first available on the Iowa State University Extension Store in November 2024 and now references the new items.

ISU Extension and Outreach Swine Specialist Mark Storlie, who authored the publication, said the calculator provides a hands-on opportunity to estimate pen feed allocations.

“Unexpected incidents can derail your plan to have a timely feed supply,” he said. “While some incidents are unforeseeable, all events can be minimized through contingency planning, and using this calculator is one way to be prepared."

Producers can use the Excel calculator to input their data and see how many days of on-hand feed is available based on the new numbers. The information sheet guides the user in using the calculator.

The new items were developed by Nick Gabler and Kayla Miller of Iowa State University and are available at no charge from the IPIC website's nutrition page.