WildAgain's Wildlife Formula Calculator
Includes Recent Test Data and Expanded Functionality
The calculator is a series of worksheets that provide the nutritional component analysis for various powdered milk replacer products (plus other ingredients) when mixed with water. The calculator is in the form of a Microsoft Excel workbook, so you do need to have a copy of Excel on your computer. When you click below on the link to the calculator, your browser will likely begin the download process, or it may bring up the calculator in Excel automatically. Either way, the calculator is easy to use, has many features and is data-rich. Once downloaded and opened up, begin on the "Read Me First" tab, as it explains the various other tabs in the workbook. Lots of data, functionality and customization options!
1.) Species-specific milk studies to help target a formula.
The calculator includes species-specific research studies that have previously analyzed the composition of the mother animal's milk found in nature for several species commonly rehabilitated in North America. Multiple studies have been included in the calculator for several species. In most of those cases, an average value is also included in the calculator. The calculator calculates and displays the degree to which the formula is balanced in terms of the relationship of the solids, protein, fat and carbs to the mother's milk as reported in the species-specific study.
2.) Optional input for other species-specific studies.
If the calculator does not already include a specific study, the user has the option to input up to three research studies of mother's milk composition. The user will need to have certain data about the composition of the milk from the research study (such as % solids, % protein, etc.).
3.) Construct a formula from multiple manufacturers, products, individual lots and ingredients.
The calculator has been updated (March 2021) and now provides a selection of milk replacer products (based on 150+ lab tests of individual lots) as well numerous supplemental ingredients. The user may select up to 10 products or ingredients concurrently from an easy to use drop-down menu when evaluating a formula. The detailed "Typical Nutritional Analysis" tab provides test data for each of the individual products and ingredients. The provides input of products or ingredients either in volume (parts) or by weight (in grams). Some users prefer to enter the values in grams to alleviate creating inaccurate results because of measurement error when scooping powder.
4.) Allows the user to input up to 10 optional products or ingredients.
If the calculator does not already include a desired product or ingredient, the user has the option to input up to ten custom products. The user will need to have certain data about the composition of the product or ingredient (such as % solids, % protein, etc.) as well as the weight in grams of 1 tablespoon of the product or ingredient.
5.) Results compare a recipe to mom's milk.
The formula components are displayed for solids, protein, fat, carbs and kcal, comparing the recipe values versus mom's milk. Values are also shown for calcium, phosphorus and the all important Ca:P ratio. Also displayed are the percentages for each component as a percent of mom's milk. A small graph also shows these relationships visually. Notes in the calculator also caution the user that a "proportional match" to mom's milk (such as shown at right) prove much more successful when fed, as opposed to a recipe that strives to achieve 100% values of mom's milk.
6.) A measurement guide is also provided.
If ingredients are entered into the recipe formulation (STEP 2 above) as parts, this measurement guide converts those individual parts into gram weights for each ingredient. When working with highly textured powdered milk products, significant error can be introduced when simply scooping ingredients (parts) as opposed to weighing the ingredients. This guide provides an easy conversion based (Part A) on the amount of total formula is needed in a single mixing. For more discussion on this, click here.
Part B of the measurement guide calculates how much of the total water should be mixing with each dry milk replacer powder.
7.) A cost estimator helps determine cost of formula.
The Cost Estimator is intended to provide a reasonable estimate of the cost of any particular formula recipe put into the Calculator. The list of products and default retail prices [WildAgain estimate] is included on the ‘TNA Data & Cost’ tab. The defaults exclude shipping and tax. The user also can override any price at their choosing in the yellow shaded column. The yellow shaded column is also where the user can supply a price for any product that has been input in the ‘User Input’ tab for products not already included in the Calculator drop-down menu.
8.) A simple calculator for kcals.
New functionality has been included to allow the simple calculation of kcals for any ingredient when inputting the percentage of solids, protein, fat, ash and crude fiber. Two options are provided depending on if the percentage for carbs is known. If not, it calculates a value for carbs using the subtraction method (Nitrogen-Free Extract). The values for kcals/gram are provided using the Atwater system as well as the Modified Atwater system, often used in the pet food industry.
All Users. As the calculator is provided in the .xlsx version, the workbooks should open successfully when using any recent version of Microsoft Excel on either a Windows or Mac desktop platform and some mobile tablets. There are some known slight formatting issues when using a Windows platform (sorry!), but these do not effect the functionality of the calculator or the results it provides. The workbook is not optimized for a tablet or smart phone platform. [Functionality on a smart phone has not been tested, so users are encouraged to use a platform that will support an Excel workbook.]
Additionally, since this is a Protected workbook, when you open it up after downloading, you may get the message below that requires you to click "Enable Editing") before you can enter values into the calculator (we have not included or embedded any malicious code or viruses):
Returning Users. All of the functionality of the calculators previously listed on this website are included in this new version. It is recommended that any previous version that may have been downloaded should be discarded and replaced with this new version. That is unless you have saved user-entered ingredients, then you may want to save the older version for reference.
New Users. Download the calculator! Do visit all the tabs in the workbook to understand what is available. The "Read Me First" tab provides a road map.
Click here to download (Excel workbook .xlsx)
UPDATED March 15, 2023
(NOTE: The calculator has a preselected species; products; and recipe for illustrative purposes only. It is not meant as a recommended recipe!!!)
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Most smart phones will not support this Excel spreadsheet. Use desktop PC/Mac platform for best results.