freekfluweel May 25, 2014:

Going by the feed book I never have an issue getting/with/needing any feed back...

;-)

Barend van Zadelhoff May 25, 2014:

As both Laurens and Katerina point out, you need to use the word 'book'.
And you are Lucky that the Dutch and English expressions are like monozygotic twins, so using the word 'book' poses no problem whatsoever.

The question is, what is the best way to do it.

katerina turevich May 25, 2014:

Cattle Feeding Manual seems to be the accepted term. https://www.google.nl/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=CrOBU7OzMsvl-gbCwYCoCw#q...

Not to be confused with "Cattle Feed Manual"which is about regulating the production stage. : https://www.google.nl/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=CrOBU7OzMsvl-gbCwYCoCw#q...

So I suggest like in the posting before: "...according to the book: "" Cattle Feeding Guidelines/Manual"

katerina turevich May 25, 2014:

in English you would most likely skip on "the book/booklet",. and just say "Ánimal Feed Recommendations/Standards". If you wish to retain the joke, you could put it like this: "'We do everything according to the book: the Animal Feed Recommendations". Haha...

Laurens Sipahelut May 25, 2014:

Building on what Barend and Dave have to offer... I would say that you could translate it as 'book of feeding standards'. I think you can disregard the '-je' part in 'boekje' and just say 'book' instead of 'booklet'.

Barend van Zadelhoff May 25, 2014:

The official name of the "voedernormenboekje" is "Tabellenboek Veevoeding" (van het Centraal VeevoederBureau), translated in English as "Tables book Animal Feed" or "Table Booklet Animal Nutrition" or ''Animal Feed Table Booklet" (one part of it also called the "normenboekje/ standards booklet"). It is also called Veevoedertabel.
But all this is not point.

The asker wants us to explain a joke, which is always something of a cumbersome procedure, but I explained it very clearly below and I am sure she is going to get it. :-)

http://www.pdv.nl/nederland/Voederwaardering/cvb-productenpa...

Barend van Zadelhoff May 25, 2014:

But in the final year I started doing everything according to the book and found that I was restricting my own imagination. Everything was controlled. Technically, it was all being done accurately but I was losing my flare, I was simply passing the exams. I knew I had to shake it off very quickly.

Barend van Zadelhoff May 25, 2014:

You probably know the expression do everything according to the book. In Dutch: 'alles/het helemaal volgens het boekje doen'.

Now there happens to be a 'voedernormenboekje' that farmers may refer to for feeding recommendations.

First he says ironically/jokingly, we are everything doing according to the book now again in terms of feeding our cattle and then goes on that he can feed his cattle according to what he thinks is needed in each specific situation.

Jokingly: Well now I am a good boy again, I do everything according to the book.

Seriously: Not at all, I can use my own brains and experience for what I should do in a particular situation.

Of course, acting according to your own ideas and experience is superior to sheepishly doing everything according to the book.

I hope this makes sense.