Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)
Weight of animal feed consumed per unit of weight gained by livestock
What is Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)?
Feed conversion ratio is the amount of feed an animal needs to eat to gain one unit of body weight. It shows how efficiently livestock turn feed into growth.
Feed is usually the largest cost in livestock production, so a lower ratio means lower cost per unit of meat or product.
How this KPI is measured
- Function
- Operations & Supply Chain
- Sub-function
- Animal Husbandry
- Industry
- Agriculture & Food
- Type
- Lagging
- Impact
- Operational
- Unit
- Ratio
- Measurement frequency
- Monthly
- Formula
- Total feed consumed (kg) / Total weight gain (kg)
How to calculate it
Divide the total feed consumed in kilograms by the total weight gain in kilograms.
For example, if a flock eats 18,000 kg of feed and gains 10,000 kg in weight, the ratio is 1.8, meaning 1.8 kg of feed for each kilogram gained.
Measure over the same growth period each time and by group, since ratios differ by species, age and breed.
Where it is used
Controlling feed cost
Track the largest cost of production.
Comparing groups and suppliers
Find better feeds and management.
Monitoring animal health
A worsening ratio can signal disease or stress.
How to improve it
Tips and common mistakes
- Compare like with like by species and age.
- A lower ratio is better, but not at the expense of welfare.
- Check for feed wastage before blaming the animals.
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