{
  "slug": "horse-feed",
  "title": "Horse Feed Calculator",
  "heading": "Horse Feed & Hay Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/horse-feed",
  "summary": "Daily forage and grain by body weight and workload.",
  "description": "Horses eat 1.5–3% of body weight in dry matter each day, and forage should carry most of it. This tool splits the ration between hay and concentrate based on workload, then prices out the monthly hay bill.",
  "formula": "Daily intake = weight × intake %; hay = intake × forage share; bales = hay ÷ bale weight.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=horse-feed",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "weight",
      "label": "Horse weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1100,
      "unit": "lb",
      "min": 200,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "intake",
      "label": "Total intake target",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "2.0",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "1.5",
          "label": "1.5% — easy keeper / weight loss"
        },
        {
          "value": "2.0",
          "label": "2.0% — maintenance"
        },
        {
          "value": "2.5",
          "label": "2.5% — light to moderate work"
        },
        {
          "value": "3.0",
          "label": "3.0% — hard work / lactating"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "forage",
      "label": "Share from forage (hay/pasture)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 80,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 40,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "baleLb",
      "label": "Bale weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 50,
      "unit": "lb",
      "min": 10,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "balePrice",
      "label": "Price per bale",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "grainPrice",
      "label": "Grain price per lb",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.45,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "hay",
      "label": "Hay per day (lb)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "grain",
      "label": "Concentrate per day (lb)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Total dry matter per day (lb)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "bales",
      "label": "Bales per day",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "balesMonth",
      "label": "Bales per month",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "daily",
      "label": "Feed cost per day",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "monthly",
      "label": "Feed cost per month",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Horse weight: 1100 lb",
      "Total intake target: 2.0% — maintenance",
      "Share from forage (hay/pasture): 80 %",
      "Bale weight: 50 lb",
      "Price per bale: 12 $",
      "Grain price per lb: 0.45 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Hay per day (lb): 17.6",
      "Concentrate per day (lb): 4.4",
      "Total dry matter per day (lb): 22",
      "Bales per day: 0.35",
      "Bales per month: 10.7",
      "Feed cost per day: $6.20",
      "Feed cost per month: $189"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter horse weight (lb).",
      "Enter total intake target.",
      "Enter share from forage (hay/pasture) (%).",
      "Enter bale weight (lb).",
      "Enter price per bale ($).",
      "Enter grain price per lb ($).",
      "Read your hay per day (lb) on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "weight": 1100,
        "intake": "2.0",
        "forage": 50,
        "baleLb": 30,
        "balePrice": 7.199999999999999,
        "grainPrice": 0.27
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "weight": 1100,
        "intake": "2.0",
        "forage": 80,
        "baleLb": 50,
        "balePrice": 12,
        "grainPrice": 0.45
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "weight": 1100,
        "intake": "2.0",
        "forage": 100,
        "baleLb": 80,
        "balePrice": 19.200000000000003,
        "grainPrice": 0.7200000000000001
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Can a horse live on hay alone?",
      "a": "Many idle horses can, provided the hay tests adequately and they get a ration balancer for minerals. Grain exists to add calories that forage cannot supply for working or hard-keeping horses."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why does bale weight matter so much?",
      "a": "Small square bales range from 40 to 70 pounds. Feeding 'two flakes' means nothing until you weigh them — that alone explains most over- and under-feeding."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pet-ownership-cost"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Horse Feed Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/horse-feed)"
}