How to Calculate Dry Weight Basis
- 1). Determine the feed ingredient weight.
- 2). Determine the feed ingredient percentage dry matter. Consult charts for ingredients with stable dry matter percentage such as grains. For example, in the National Research Council's "Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle." For ingredients with variable dry matter percentage, determine dry matter using conventional or microwave oven procedures or near infrared reflectance spectroscopy as described by the National Forage Testing Association.
- 3). Divide the dry matter percentage by 100. For example, if the dry matter percentage is 40 percent, divide 40 by 100 to get 0.4.
- 4). Multiply the number calculated in step 3 by the weight of the feed ingredient. In the example, if the weight of the ingredient is 10 pounds, the dry matter weight is 10 pounds times 0.4, or four pounds.
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