Calculate swine feed conversion ratio — feed pounds per pound of gain — plus optional $ per lb of gain and per-pig averages.
Use this at closeout or phase checkpoints when you know feed delivered and liveweight produced for a group of pigs.
Lower FCR is better. Grow-finish benchmarks often land near ~2.5–3.0 depending on genetics, health, and diet — use your packer or nutritionist targets.
FCR = feed ÷ gain. Cost per lb gain = feed $ ÷ gain lb.
FCR = feed_lb ÷ gain_lb
$/lb_gain = feed_$ ÷ gain_lb
lb_gain/pig = gain_lb ÷ pigs (optional)
For mortality-adjusted comparisons, follow your farm’s rule for including dead-pig weight in gain.
20,000 lb feed and 7,500 lb gain → FCR ≈ 2.67. At $4,000 feed cost → ≈ $0.53/lb of gain.
Assumptions: feed and gain cover the same pigs and period; gain is liveweight increase.
Limits: not carcass-gain FCR or lean efficiency. Does not adjust for starting weight differences across groups.
Responsibility: medicated feed withdrawals and animal care remain your farm’s duty.
Commercial swine FCR almost always uses as-fed feed as delivered.
Run phases separately if diets and targets differ; whole-cycle FCR blends phases.
Different species and diets — do not cross-benchmark the raw numbers.