Brothh

What it means

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 — 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.

Examples

Conventional broiler

1.8 lb feed → 1 lb gain

Pasture pork

~4.0 lb feed → 1 lb gain

Grass-finished beef

~10 lb forage DM → 1 lb gain

Related terms

Grass-Finished

Beef (or lamb) raised and finished entirely on pasture and forage, never grain. Different from "grass-fed" which requires only partial pasture.

Dressing Percentage

Ratio of hanging (dressed) weight to live weight. Beef typically 60-64%, pork 72-76%, lamb 48-52%.

Calculators that use this

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 — conventional and heritage pasture systems.

Chicken Feed Conversion

Broiler finish math and layer feed-per-dozen — with break-even egg pricing.