Feed conversion ratio

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) measures the amount of feed an animal consumes per unit of weight gain or product output. Lower FCR indicates less feed is needed for a given output.

Feed efficiency: Feed efficiency describes how effectively an animal converts feed into growth or products. FCR expresses feed efficiency as feed consumed per unit of output.
Broiler production: Broiler production is the raising of chickens primarily for meat. Broiler flocks are commonly evaluated by feed consumed per unit of live-weight gain.
Economic feed conversion ratio: Economic feed conversion ratio relates feed cost to the economic value of animal production. It weights feed use by cost rather than treating every unit of feed alike.
Feed grain: Feed grain is cereal grain grown or used to nourish livestock and farmed animals. Improving FCR can reduce grain needed for a fixed amount of animal output.
Average daily gain: Average daily gain is an animal’s increase in body weight per day over a specified period. Weight gain supplies the denominator when FCR measures feed per unit of growth.
Aquaculture: Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms, including fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants. Farmed fish FCR connects feed use to harvested biomass.
Protein efficiency ratio: Protein efficiency ratio measures weight gain per unit of protein consumed. It focuses on dietary protein rather than total feed mass.
Feed additive: A feed additive is a substance included in animal feed to affect its quality or the animal’s response. Additives may alter digestion or growth and thereby change measured FCR.
Dry matter intake: Dry matter intake is the mass of feed consumed after excluding its water content. Using dry matter intake makes FCR less sensitive to differences in feed moisture.
Dairy cattle: Dairy cattle are domesticated cattle bred and managed primarily for milk production. In dairy systems, feed may be compared with milk output rather than body-weight gain.

Linked from 10 pages