Tool
Cattle Cost of Gain Calculator
Calculate nowQuick answer
Subtract the starting weight from the ending weight to get pounds gained. Divide by the days in the period for average daily gain. Add up everything the animal cost over the period (feed, yardage, vet and medicine, labor, interest) and divide by pounds gained: that is your cost of gain per pound. Compare it with the value of each added pound to decide whether more gain pays.
How the math works
- Pounds gained = ending weight − starting weight.
- Average daily gain = pounds gained ÷ days.
- Cost per pound of gain = total cost for the period ÷ pounds gained.
The Government of Alberta 4-H guide on feeding terms and feed cost calculations builds feed cost per pound of gain from three parts: feed price, how much is fed per day and the animal’s rate of gain. This calculator does the same with the period total, so non-feed costs fit in.
Reading the result
Feedlot cattle in the US typically gain 2.5 to 4 lb per day, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. Stockers on grass gain less, and their cost of gain is usually lower too. Gain only pays when the cost of each added pound is below what that pound is worth at sale.
Limits
Weigh the animal the same way at the start and the end. Gut fill can swing scale weight by many pounds, and over a short period that error can be larger than the real gain.
Frequently asked questions
What costs should go into cost of gain?
At least feed, since it is usually the biggest piece. For a true number, also add yardage, vet and medicine, labor, trucking and interest on the cattle and feed. Feed-only cost of gain looks better than it really is.
Why is the cost field empty?
Feed and service prices change from week to week and from one place to the next. Enter your own total for the period so the result reflects your operation, not a national average.
How is this different from feed conversion?
Feed conversion is pounds of feed per pound of gain, a measure of efficiency. Cost of gain turns that into dollars and adds the non-feed costs. Cheap feed can still give expensive gain if the cattle convert it poorly.
Sources
- 4-H Feeding Terms and FCE Feed Cost Calculations (average daily gain; feed conversion efficiency = lb of feed per lb of gain, 6:1 to 7:1 typical for finishing steers; feed cost per lb of gain)↗oficial
- Cattle & Beef — Sector at a Glance (cow-calf, stocker, backgrounding and feedlot stages; feedlot rations 70–90% grain and concentrates; 2.5–4 lb gain per day; 90–300 days on feed)↗oficial
Keep going
Aquarium Volume CalculatorCat food calculator (calories per day)Cattle average daily gain (ADG) calculator and finish date