Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) Calculator
Calculate feed conversion ratio for livestock — how much feed is required to produce one unit of animal weight gain.
Compare FCR for cattle, pigs, chickens, fish, and other livestock.
What Is Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)? Feed conversion ratio (FCR) = feed consumed (kg) / weight gained (kg). A lower FCR is better — it means less feed is needed per kg of animal product. Also called feed conversion efficiency (FCE) — the inverse: FCE = weight gain / feed consumed. FCR is one of the most important metrics in commercial livestock production.
Typical FCR Values Broiler chickens: 1.6–2.0 (best: < 1.6 in optimized commercial flocks) Turkeys: 2.0–2.8 Pigs (swine): 2.5–3.5 Farmed salmon: 1.0–1.5 (fish are cold-blooded — less energy for body heat) Tilapia: 1.5–2.0 Beef cattle (feedlot): 6–8 Dairy cows: 1.0–1.5 (for milk production, measured differently) Sheep: 4–6 Rabbits: 3–4
Why Fish Are More Efficient Fish are cold-blooded (ectothermic) — they don’t spend energy maintaining body temperature. This is why aquaculture FCRs are much lower than cattle or poultry. A broiler chicken must eat ~2 kg of feed to gain 1 kg of body weight. A salmon only needs ~1.2 kg of feed for 1 kg of body weight.
Factors Affecting FCR Animal genetics: modern breeds are selected for low FCR. Feed quality: higher protein/energy density improves FCR. Age: younger animals grow faster with better FCR. Health: sick animals convert feed poorly. Environment: temperature, space, and stress affect FCR. Management: feeding frequency, water quality (aquaculture), housing type.
Economic Impact Feed costs typically represent 60–70% of livestock production costs. A broiler flock of 50,000 birds: improving FCR from 2.0 to 1.8 saves ~200 tonnes of feed. For a cattle feedlot, each 0.1 improvement in FCR can save thousands per cycle. Even small FCR improvements have enormous economic impact at commercial scale.
Calculating Total Feed Cost Total feed cost = FCR × target weight gain × feed price per kg. Feed needed = FCR × weight gain × number of animals. Days to market = target weight / average daily gain.
Sustainability Lower FCR = less land for feed crops, less water, lower greenhouse gas emissions. Beef has the highest environmental footprint per kg of protein (high FCR + ruminant methane). Moving protein production toward fish, insects, and poultry reduces environmental impact.