In the dairy industry, feed efficiency (ECM/intake) is often used instead of FCR (intake/ECM) an FE less than 1.3 is considered problematic. Īnother method for dealing with pricing based on protein and fat, is using energy-corrected milk (ECM), which adds a factor to normalize assuming certain amounts of fat and protein in a final milk product that formula is (0.327 x milk mass) + (12.95 x fat mass) + (7.2 x protein mass). Using an FCR calculated just on the weight of protein and fat, as of 2011 an FCR of 13 was poor, and an FCR of 8 was very good. In the US, the price of milk is based on the protein and fat content, so the FCR is often calculated to take that into account.
: 11–11 In response the USDA began issuing guidance to dairy farmers about how to control inputs to better minimize manure output and to minimize harmful contents, as well as optimizing milk output. The dairy industry traditionally didn't use FCR but in response to increasing concentration in the dairy industry and other livestock operations, the EPA updated its regulations in 2003 controlling manure and other waste releases produced by livestock operators. As of 2013 FCRs had not changed much compared to other fields in the prior 30 years, especially compared to poultry which had improved feed efficiency by about 250% since the late 1800s. Divided by an average carcass yield of 62.2%, the typical carcass weight FCR is above 10. However, comparisons of FCR among different species may be of little significance unless the feeds involved are of similar quality and suitability.Īs of 2013 in the US, an FCR calculated on live weight gain of 4.5–7.5 was in the normal range with an FCR above 6 being typical. Conversion ratios for livestock Īnimals that have a low FCR are considered efficient users of feed. Īs for the inputs portion, although FCR is commonly calculated using feed dry mass, it is sometimes calculated on an as-fed wet mass basis, (or in the case of grains and oilseeds, sometimes on a wet mass basis at standard moisture content), with feed moisture resulting in higher ratios. The outputs portion may be calculated based on weight gained, on the whole animal at sale, or on the dressed product with milk it may be normalized for fat and protein content. RFI uses for output the difference between actual intake and predicted intake based on an animal's body weight, weight gain, and composition.
However FCR is a poor basis to use for selecting animals to improve genetics, as that results in larger animals that cost more to feed instead residual feed intake (RFI) is used which is independent of size. Īs a rule of thumb, the daily FCR is low for young animals (when relative growth is large) and increases for older animals (when relative growth tends to level out). įCR a function of the animal's genetics and age, the quality and ingredients of the feed, and the conditions in which the animal is kept, and storage and use of the feed by the farmworkers. Being a ratio the FCR is dimensionless, that is, it is not affected by the units of measurement used to determine the FCR. FCR is widely used in hog and poultry production, while FE is used more commonly with cattle. 3 Feed conversion ratios of meat alternativesįeed conversion ratio (FCR) is the ratio of inputs to outputs it is the inverse of "feed efficiency" which is the ratio of outputs to inputs.