An evaluation of the FeedSmart app for feed planning in a controlled nutrition study

FeedSmart is an app designed for smartphones, tablets, and computers to help farmers make instant and accurate decisions around feed management. The accuracy of the FeedSmart app was assessed in an intensive controlled nutrition trial, over two consecutive years. The objective of the trial was to compare a maintenance (M) diet to a restricted diet, 0.6 of maintenance (R), over a 55-day period in sheep. In the first year, 48 animals were split between M and R groups. In the second year, 274 ewes were divided into light (L) and heavy (H) groups, then into M and R. The FeedSmart app was used to calculate the area required for both M and R groups. Based on previous data, restricted animals were expected to lose 7.1% of their body weight over the 55-day period. The changes in year 1 M and R groups and year 2 HM and HR groups were not significantly different from the expected changes. The weight changes in the year 2 LM and LR groups were significant, but were within the errors associated with the calculations underlying the FeedSmart app. In these trials, the FeedSmart app provided an accurate tool for feed management.