Pounds of feed required to produce one pound of live-weight gain. Beef ~6-10:1, pork ~2.8:1, broiler chicken ~1.8:1.
Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) is the pounds of feed consumed per pound of weight gained. Lower is more efficient. Chickens are the most efficient land animal at 1.8:1 (eat 1.8 lb to gain 1 lb); pigs around 2.8:1; grain-finished beef 6:1; grass-finished beef 10:1.
FCR drives the economics of livestock β a farmer pricing their beef at $4.50/lb hanging needs to factor in the ~6 lb of grain (or 10 lb of pasture dry-matter) per pound of live-weight gain.
Conventional broiler
1.8 lb feed β 1 lb gain
Pasture pork
~4.0 lb feed β 1 lb gain
Grass-finished beef
~10 lb forage DM β 1 lb gain
Cattle Feed Conversion
Days to finish, feed pounds, and cost per gained pound for grass, mixed, or grain finishing.
Pork Feed Conversion
Feed pounds and cost from weaner to finish weight β conventional and heritage pasture systems.
Chicken Feed Conversion
Broiler finish math and layer feed-per-dozen β with break-even egg pricing.