Cost of gain
$0.42a pound
- 2.59 lbgain a day
- 9.3lb feed per lb gain
- $41.76per cwt
- Each one gains 259 lb in 100 days. That is 2.59 lb a day.
- It eats 9.3 lb of feed for each pound it gains.
- Feed costs $1.08 a head a day, waste in. Feed alone costs $0.42 a pound ($41.76 per cwt) of gain.
- For the whole 100 days, that is $108 a head.
How we work it out
- Daily gain = (end weight − start weight) ÷ days.
- Feed to gain = feed fed a day ÷ daily gain.
- Feed cost a day = what the feed costs, plus the waste.
- Cost of gain = (feed cost + other costs) a day ÷ daily gain.
NDSU's example: $1.03 of feed plus 5% waste is $1.08 a day. At 2.59 lb a day, feed costs $.416 a pound of gain. Vet and death loss, yardage and interest bring the total to $.75.
What others get
| Animals | Gain a day | Feed to gain | Cost of gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas feedlot steers, Aug 2026 | 3.52 lb | 6.47, dry matter | $104.89 per cwt |
| Kansas feedlot heifers, Aug 2026 | 3.00 lb | 7.05, dry matter | $116.12 per cwt |
| North Dakota calves, backgrounded, 2016 | 1.66 lb | – | – |
| Market lambs (SDSU) | 0.6 to 1.0 lb | 6, as fed | – |
| Show pigs (Arizona) | – | 3.5 | – |
From K-State (Kansas), NDSU (North Dakota), SDSU (lambs) and Arizona (pigs). Kansas cost of gain leaves out interest.
Feed to gain at each daily gain, calves (NDSU)
| Gain a day | 1.5 lb | 1.75 lb | 2.0 lb | 2.25 lb | 2.5 lb | 2.75 lb | 3.0 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed to gain | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
Dry matter. From NDSU's 2017 backgrounding budget: the faster they gain, the less feed each pound takes.
Questions
What is cost of gain?
It is what each pound of gain costs you. Add up the costs, then divide by the pounds gained. UF counts every cost, death loss too.
How do I find average daily gain?
Take the end weight, less the start weight. Divide by the days between. A calf that gains 259 lb in 100 days gains 2.59 lb a day.
What is feed to gain?
It is the pounds of feed for each pound of gain. A lamb that eats 180 lb of feed and gains 30 lb has a feed to gain of 6 to 1, says SDSU.
Is feed weighed wet or dry?
It depends on the source. Kansas and NDSU weigh feed as dry matter, with the water taken out. SDSU and Arizona weigh it as fed. Use one kind for all your numbers.
What is a good cost of gain?
In the August 2026 Kansas closeouts, steers gained for $104.89 per cwt, and heifers for $116.12. Kansas counts feed, yardage, processing, medicine and death loss, but not interest.
Sources
- NDSU Extension North Central REC, Backgrounding 20172017Feed cost per day with waste, cost of gain from feed and the rest, feed to gain by daily gain
- University of Florida IFAS, Should I Buy Stocker Calves This Fall or a Fishing License?Sep 2016Cost of gain: all costs, death loss too, over the pounds gained
- K-State, Kansas Feedlot Performance and Feed Cost Summary (August 2026 closeouts)Sep 2026Kansas feedlots: daily gain, dry-matter feed to gain, cost of gain
- K-State Research and Extension MF3247, Focus on Feedlots 2019 Annual ReviewSep 2020What Kansas cost of gain counts, and leaves out (interest)
- SDSU Extension MC-04285, Understanding Market Lamb Gains2026Feed to gain for lambs, 6 to 1, and their daily gain
- University of Arizona Extension az2071, Growing a Show Swine to Market WeightOct 2023Daily gain; pigs turn about 3.5 lb of feed into 1 lb of gain