Maths help pls! ratio brain ache

[Cragrat]

My brain has overheated I think

I want to mix 5 components, to save faffing around twice a day. I keep salt separate. I have the recommended amounts to feed per day:

weight - 18g, 10g, 8g, 5.5g, 4g

volume - 30ml, 10ml, 12ml, 5ml, 5 ml

Am I best to mix by weight or volume? Surely weight is more accurate???

If I mix the ingredients, and then add the RDA's together, divide by 2 and feed that each day, will that be correct?

thank you!

 

[Birker2020]

My brain has overheated I think

I want to mix 5 components, to save faffing around twice a day. I keep salt separate. I have the recommended amounts to feed per day:

weight - 18g, 10g, 8g, 5.5g, 4g

volume - 30ml, 10ml, 12ml, 5ml, 5 ml

Am I best to mix by weight or volume? Surely weight is more accurate???

If I mix the ingredients, and then add the RDA's together, divide by 2 and feed that each day, will that be correct?

thank you!

Yes better by weight. Liquids are heavier than powder if any of the components are liquid form.

I'm not sure that if you mix all the ingredients up and divide by two that will work, as some will be heavier than others and sink and you won't get a true mixture. Or at least that's my take on it.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

If it's smaller supplements then you can get these and dish them out once per week into the small tubs and then empty into your feed bowl when needed..
https://groceries.asda.com/product/...Iyq28n-yI4Z6JYbvAXkaAmeQEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

But if you're wanting to make a mix of your own then you will struggle a bit like Birker says - if the components are different densities/textures/forms.

 

[criso]

I had a feed plan done.

I used to mix up a month's worth of minerals at a time so multiply all by 30 and make up a tub. Making up more actually eliminates errors as 1g out on 4g is more of a problem than 1g out on 100g. You do need to do a single day though to work out how many scoops it is

It doesn't matter if you use volume or weight if know you have the correct conversions e.g. 30ml scoop may contain more of one element than another. If you don't then use scales and get accurate ones. If it's a premixed supplement like a joint supplement, the chances are the manufacturer as already added something to make sure that correct dose works at a 25ml scoop not 18.5ml. If it's straights then weight may be better as they won't necessarily work out at a scoop or 1/2 scoop.


There can be an issue with items separating and settling but I have had this with supplements I have bought. Give everything a good shake before use and don't share between horses so if they get a little too much on one day, they get a bit less the next.

I've also do the little pot thing so I might put in 1 day of joint supplement, 1 day of mineral mix, 1 day of pre/probiotics. Whoever is doing the feeds adds it in but depending on the horse it might be all in one or split between several.

And if salt is an element, don't add to the mix as it degrades other items so that should be added at the last minute.

 

[Cragrat]

Thank you- all good advice.

They are all powders, of *fairly * similar ish texture, so I think my plan is a larger quantity to reduce error, use accurate scales, and mix well every now and then. Once mixed, it won't have to move much, so hopefully shouldn't separate too much.

Nothing contains salt- I know to keep that separate, and I vary the amount of that according to how much they have sweated and the weather.

 

[Green Bean]

I have two supplements that I feed and have bought some tiny jars which I premix for the number of feeds per week. The jars came in a very convenient styrene separated box. I have kept this as it is convenient for keeping the jars from moving. Not quite the solution you are discussing but I find this way I only need to refill the jars once a week. I used to mix up dried herbs together for the month into one of those plastic storage boxes with lid which was fine as it didn't really matter if the 'right' mix was provided on any given day