Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Cost per pound of gain
$1.368
Margin per pound of gain
$0.532
Margin per head per day
$1.81
Total daily cost per head
$4.65
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How to use this
- 1Enter daily ration cost ($/head).
- 2Enter daily yardage ($/head).
- 3Enter average daily gain (lb).
- 4Enter expected market price for the gain ($/lb).
- 5Read your cost per pound of gain on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Cost of gain is the number that determines whether putting more pounds on an animal makes money, independent of what you paid for the animal in the first place. This calculator converts a daily ration cost per head and the feed conversion ratio (pounds of feed per pound of gain) into a straightforward cost per pound of gain, then adds yardage to get an all-in number you can compare directly against expected market price for the added weight. Feed conversion in finishing cattle commonly runs 5.5-7.5 lb of dry matter per lb of gain depending on ration energy density, cattle type, and time on feed, and small conversion improvements move this number more than most people expect.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Daily ration cost: 4.2 $/head
- Daily yardage: 0.45 $/head
- Average daily gain: 3.4 lb
- Expected market price for the gain: 1.9 $/lb
Results
- Cost per pound of gain: $1.368
- Margin per pound of gain: $0.532
- Margin per head per day: $1.81
- Total daily cost per head: $4.65
What each field means
Inputs
- Daily ration cost ($/head)
- The daily ration cost used in the calculation, measured in $/head. Starts at 4.2 $/head so you have a working example on load.
- Daily yardage ($/head)
- The daily yardage used in the calculation, measured in $/head. Starts at 0.45 $/head so you have a working example on load.
- Average daily gain (lb)
- The average daily gain used in the calculation, measured in lb. Starts at 3.4 lb so you have a working example on load.
- Expected market price for the gain ($/lb)
- The expected market price for the gain used in the calculation, measured in $/lb. Starts at 1.9 $/lb so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Cost per pound of gain
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Margin per pound of gain
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Margin per head per day
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total daily cost per head
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is cost of gain more useful than total feed cost?
It normalizes for pace of gain, so you can compare two very different rations or two different classes of cattle on equal footing. A ration that costs more per day but produces faster gain can still have a lower cost per pound than a cheaper, slower ration.
How much does feed conversion efficiency swing cost of gain?
Enormously — moving feed conversion from 7.0 to 6.0 lb feed per lb gain on the same ration price cuts cost of gain by roughly 14%, which is why bunk management and ration consistency matter as much as ingredient shopping.
What if cost of gain is higher than market price?
That means every additional pound put on the animal loses money at current prices, which happens periodically when corn spikes or fed cattle prices drop. In that scenario, marketing cattle earlier and lighter, if the contract allows it, can preserve more margin than continuing to feed.
Does this apply to backgrounding as well as finishing?
Yes, the formula is identical — just use backgrounding ration cost and the lower ADG typical of growing rations (often 2-3 lb/day on high-roughage diets) instead of finishing rations, which usually see faster gain on higher-energy feed.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cattle Breakeven Price Calculator
Minimum sale price needed to cover purchase, feed, and yardage costs.
Dairy Feed Cost Per Cwt Calculator
Daily ration cost translated into feed cost per hundredweight of milk shipped.
Calf Weaning Weight Value Calculator
Adjusted 205-day weaning weight and sale value for a calf crop.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Feedlot Cost of Gain Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/feedlot-cost-of-gain
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/feedlot-cost-of-gain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Feedlot Cost of Gain Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Feedlot Cost of Gain Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/feedlot-cost-of-gain) (2026).