Once you have entered the composite screen, it is possible to add the ingredients that are sources for the nutrients whose values need to be adjusted; much like in conventional composite optimization, one needs to properly select the feeds that potentially provide the needed amounts. One could also set up in advance some dedicated user lists of feeds (e.g. trace mineral sources) that are suitable for specific sets of nutrients, with the advantage of being able to add these feeds with one single operation, instead of adding them one by one.
Then, you can set a target feeding rate for optimization, allowing some extra amount (room space) for the added ingredients. Actually, this value is not critical; if among the ingredients there is a substrate that does affect marginally the nutrient levels (e.g. calcium carbonate), after the optimization, its amount will include the exceeding part of the feeding rate not used for satisfying the main constraints. One can then decide to change the target feeding rate and run again the optimization to obtain a different composite at a different feeding rate.
Constraints on the nutrients can be inputted/edited in the related columns (Min, Max) beside the current level column. As explained, it is possible to set the view mode to Concentration or Supply (at least for some nutrient categories), and set the constraints accordingly.
After the previous operations, it is possible to run the optimization using the Optimization button. In the following example, some macro and micro mineral have been constrained to reach the requested values (micro- minerals displayed as concentrations):
The ingredients list after the optimization is the following:
The Feeding rate (recipe + new composite) is set to the expected amount of “As
Fed” intake (from 89.86 to 90 in the example above) . After optimization, notice
that the Calcium Carbonate, acting as substrate, has a feeding rate amount of
0.105 lbs to reach the total value of 90.0 lbs set in the feeding rate
cell.