Feed conversion ratio: feed per kg of gain
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is feed consumed divided by weight gained over the same period. A lower figure means less feed was needed for each kilogram of gain. Farmers use FCR when finishing livestock or rearing lambs and calves to compare feeding costs between groups.
How do you calculate FCR for a group?
For example, a group that eats 900 kg of feed and gains 150 kg of live weight has an FCR of 6.0 (900 divided by 150). A group eating the same 900 kg but gaining 180 kg has an FCR of 5.0.
How can you compare feeding costs?
Use HerdMobile to track feed use, then compare it with your animals' live weight gains. Together, these figures help you compare feed costs per kilogram gained between groups.
Questions from the farm
Is FCR the same as feed efficiency?
FCR and feed efficiency express the same relationship in opposite ways. FCR divides feed eaten by weight gained, so lower is better. Feed efficiency divides gain by feed eaten, so higher is better.
What period should you use to calculate FCR?
Use matching start and end dates for feed use and weight gain. Compare groups at the same growth stage, because a single weighing error can distort FCR over a short period.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
Compare feed use with live weight gain over the same period to work out each group's feed cost per kilogram gained and see how the groups differ.
