08/29/2026
Part 5: Feed Efficiency & Weight Gain
The Numbers and the Science Finally Come Together
Who knew you were going to get a full-fledged education from your market animal? You've selected your animal. You've built a budget. You've learned about nutrition. Now we're going to put the numbers and the science together.
Because remember: This is a business. Stop calling it just a project.
You have invested money into an animal, and now your job is to manage that investment. You need to know how efficiently your animal is growing, how much you're spending to get that growth, and whether you're still headed toward the goal you set in your budget.
You don't need to become a cattle nutritionist or an accountant overnight.
But you do need to know your numbers.
Where Did You Start?
The first number you need is your starting weight.
Get a weight on your animal as soon as you can, even if you're bringing the calf home early and the official 4-H or FFA weigh-in isn't for months.
My Starting Information
Animal: __________________________________
Date I brought my animal home: __________________
Starting weight: __________ pounds
How was the weight obtained?
☐ Certified livestock scale
☐ Family/farm scale
☐ Feedlot scale
☐ Fairgrounds scale
☐ Weight tape
☐ Other: ______________________
Write that number down. Don't rely on memory.
Make Weighing a Habit
Once you have that first weight, make weighing your animal a ritualistic habit.
Minimum: Once a month.
Even better: Twice a month.
You don't need to make yourself crazy weighing every day. What you're looking for is a consistent record that shows you the direction your animal is going.
Think of it like checking your bank account. You don't need to check it every five minutes to know whether you're headed in the right direction. But if you never look, you may be in trouble before you realize it.
Don't Have a Certified Scale? Don't panic. We don't have one sitting in our backyard either. We use a family member's scale about half a mile up the road. And honestly, we consider that living the good life to have a certified scale that close to us when we wean, have yearling weights and when we sell our steers.
If you have access to a certified scale, use it when practical. But if you don't, there are other tools.
The Weight Tape
A weight tape is inexpensive, quick and relatively easy to use. No hauling the animal to the fairgrounds. No loading a steer into a trailer to drive to a feedlot just to get a weight and no unnecessary stress on the animal.
Is a weight tape perfect? No, it is an estimate, and accuracy can vary considerably depending on the animal and how the tape is used. Don't treat it as an official certified weight, but it can be an excellent tracking tool.
If you consistently use the same tape, in the same manner, you can see whether your animal is trending upward. And that's what we're looking for as consistency is more important than perfection.
If your weight tape says:
January: 650 lbs
February: 720 lbs
March: 790 lbs
You have useful information. Even if the actual weights aren't exactly those numbers.
Another Way to Estimate Weight
There are formulas that use measurements such as heart girth and body length to estimate weight. They can be useful, but they take more time and require you to take accurate measurements.
A weight tape is quick, easy, realtively inexpensive ($8 to $17 depending on where you shop), less stressful, and easy to repeat the measurement
Use the tools you have available and they don't have to be perfect to be useful.
So, How Fast Is Your Animal Growing?
Now we get to the fun part. Math.
Let's say your steer weighs:
650 pounds
You weigh him 30 days later and he weighs:
725 pounds
First: Step 1: Calculate the total weight gain.
725 − 650 = 75 pounds
He gained 75 pounds.
Now: Step 2: Calculate the number of days.
30 days.
Step 3: Calculate Average Daily Gain (ADG).
Total pounds gained ÷ number of days = Average Daily Gain
75 ÷ 30 = 2.5 pounds per day
Your steer gained:
2.5 pounds per day
Now Let's Look Ahead
If your animal continues to average 2.5 pounds per day:
One week:
2.5 × 7 = 17.5 pounds
One month:
2.5 × 30 = 75 pounds
Two months:
2.5 × 60 = 150 pounds
Three months:
2.5 × 90 = 225 pounds
Again, this is not a promise that your animal will gain exactly 2.5 pounds every day. There are so many things that can impact rate of gain. Growth changes. Weather changes. Feed changes. Health changes. Stress changes. The animal changes as it matures.
But your average daily gain gives you a planning number.
Your Turn
Previous weight: __________ lbs
Current weight: __________ lbs
Weight gained: __________ lbs
Number of days: __________
Calculate:
Weight gained ÷ days = ADG
__________ ÷ __________ = __________ lbs/day
My current Average Daily Gain:
__________ pounds per day
Now Look at Your Expected Sale Weight
Let's say your steer currently weighs 800 pounds.
You have 90 days until weigh-in.
Your current average daily gain is 2.2 pounds.
Expected additional gain:
2.2 × 90 = 198 pounds
Estimated weigh-in weight:
800 + 198 = 998 pounds
That's useful information. But here's what makes it even more useful: You can keep checking your actual weight and adjust your expectations. You don't want to arrive at weigh-in and suddenly discover, “Wait, we were supposed to weigh a minimum 1,100 pounds!” You should know approximately where you're headed months before you get there and fine tune with the weeks you have left.
Watch Your Cattle Eat
Here's one of the easiest, and most overlooked, ways to learn about your business.
Watch your cattle eat. Not for 30 seconds. Take some time and sit down and just watch.
Ask yourself:
*Does the animal dive headfirst into the feed?
*Does it seem excited to eat?
*Does it eat consistently?
*Does it sort through the ration?
*Does it leave certain ingredients behind?
*Does it leave powdered supplements?
*Does it leave fines in the bottom of the pan?
*Does it tip the feed pan over?
*Does it waste feed?
*Does it seem to enjoy the ration?
*Does it finish everything?
*Is another animal bullying or pushing it away from the feed?
*Is the animal eating normally compared with previous days?
These observations can tell you a tremendous amount and you can adjust feeding accordingly.
Your Feed Pan Can Talk
If you're finding feed left in the bottom of the pan, don't automatically assume, “Well, I guess he isn't hungry.”
Look closer. What is he leaving?
If he's leaving the more expensive ingredients or a powdered supplement, you're paying for something you're not getting into the animal. If he's sorting through the ration, you may not be getting the nutritional balance you intended. If he's tipping the pan over, you're literally feeding the ground. And that's not a very profitable business model.
Smell Your Feed
This sounds strange until you've been around cattle long enough.
Smell the feed.
*Does it smell fresh?
*Does it smell normal?
*Does it smell musty?
*Does it smell sour?
*Does it smell rancid?
*Does it have visible mold?
We throw moldy bread away. Why would we expect our steer or heifer to benefit from old, spoiled or moldy feed? Store feed properly and protect it from moisture, pests and contamination.
If you have concerns about feed quality, ask your feed dealer before feeding it. That is their job and why they are there. They are successful when you are successful.
Water Matters, Too
A good feeding program isn't just grain. Your animal needs access to clean, fresh water.
Check it.
*Is the water clean?
*Is the tank working?
*Is it frozen?
*Is it excessively dirty?
*Has the animal knocked something into it?
*Has something passed away in it?
*Is the water source easily accessible?
An animal can't perform at its potential if something as basic as water isn't right.
Don't Forget the Forage
Your grain ration isn't the entire diet. Hay and other appropriate forage provide fiber and help support normal rumen function. Make sure your animal is receiving the appropriate forage as part of the complete feeding program.
Don't Forget the Minerals/Salts
They are crucial for keeping the body healthy and making sure they are performing at their peak effeciency.
And remember:
The ration is the entire feeding program, not just what's in the bag of grain.
Get Your Hands On Your Animal
This is one of the most important things you can learn to do. Put your hands on your animal. Not to just brush, blow or fit the animal. Actually feel your steer or heifer. You can use your rice-root brush and then follow behind with your hand.
Feel:
*The ribs
*The loin
*The flank
*The brisket
*The hip
*The rump
*The tailhead
As the animal develops, you're learning to recognize changes in body condition and fat deposition.
Where Is the Fat Going?
Pay attention to how the animal is changing. Are the ribs becoming harder to feel? Is the flank filling and starting to deepen? Is the brisket developing appropriate cover? Are you seeing or feeling changes around the tailhead? Are there noticeable fat deposits developing over the tailhead? You can also use a hose with a simple nozzle while washing your animal. As the water runs over the body, use your hand to feel along the ribs and down into the flank and around the cod or udder area. You're developing your hands-on evaluation skills.
Eventually, you should be able to tell someone, “He's gaining weight, but he's also starting to put on more finish.”
That's much more useful than, “I think he's getting fatter.”
Weight Gain Isn't Everything
Here's an important lesson. A heavier animal isn't automatically a better animal.
You need to ask:
*Where is the weight going?
*Is your animal building muscle?
*Is it developing body capacity?
*Is it adding appropriate fat cover?
*Is it getting too fat too early?
*Is it staying too lean?
*Is it healthy?
*Is it structurally sound?
*Is it comfortable?
*Is it eating efficiently?
You're not trying to create the heaviest animal possible for their frame size. You're trying to create a quality finished market animal.
The Scoop Problem
Let's talk about one of my favorite cattle measurements, “Three scoops.”
What does that even mean? A scoop could be anything you use to measure feed such as an old coffee can, a plastic cup, a feed scoop from the feed supply co-op, a five gallon bucket, something your dad made or something grandpa used for 40 years.
There is no universal measurement called a scoop. And here's the other problem; different feeds have different weights.
Try This Science Experiment
Take the same scoop you use every day.
Weigh one scoop of oats.
Oats: __________ pounds
Now weigh one scoop of rolled corn.
Rolled corn: __________ pounds
Now weigh one scoop of wet COB—corn, oats and barley with molasses.
Wet COB: __________ pounds
Did they weigh the same? Probably not. That's because volume isn't weight. One scoop tells you how much space something occupies. A scale tells you how much it weighs. If you're serious about knowing what you're feeding then weigh your feed.
Let's Put It Into Practice
Someone asks you, “How much are you feeding your steer?”
Instead of, “About three scoops.”
You can say, "I'm feeding Umbarger's Cattlelac Complete Feed at approximately 3% of his body weight. He's 950 pounds, so he's eating about 28.5 pounds of feed per day and I feed him twice a day.”
The math:
950 × 0.03 = 28.5 pounds
That's a much better answer and tells the person asking the question much more information. Especially if you go back to the feed dealer and need to fine tune your ration. And now you've learned something that can be used in your budget, your nutrition program and your marketing.
Feed Efficiency
Now we're getting into the really interesting part.
You know:
*How much your animal weighs.
*How much weight it has gained.
*How much you're feeding.
*What that feed costs.
Now you can begin asking, "How efficiently am I turning feed into pounds?
A basic way to look at feed efficiency is:
Feed Conversion:
Pounds of feed consumed ÷ pounds of weight gained
For example, if an animal consumes 1,000 pounds of feed and gains 200 pounds:
1,000 ÷ 200 = 5
That's a 5:1 feed conversion.
That means it took approximately 5 pounds of feed for every pound of weight gained during that period.
Real-world cattle nutrition is more complicated than a simple number, especially because forage, feed composition, maintenance requirements and changing animal size all matter.
But the basic concept is important: How much are you putting in, and how much are you getting back?
Now Put Feed Cost Into the Equation
Suppose your feed costs:
$0.30 per pound
And your animal consumes:
28 pounds per day
Daily feed cost:
28 × $0.30 = $8.40 per day
Over 30 days:
$8.40 × 30 = $252
Now you can start asking, "How much weight did my animal gain during those 30 days?
If he gained 75 pounds:
$252 ÷ 75 = $3.36
Your estimated feed cost was approximately:
$3.36 per pound of gain
That's a number worth knowing.
And remember, this is feed cost only, not the entire cost of raising your animal.
Your total cost also includes things like the animal, hay, minerals, health care, insurance, transportation, show expenses and other costs from your budget.
Keep a Record
*Date
*Weight
*Gain Days
*ADG
*Feed/Day
Then ask yourself, "Is my animal moving in the direction I expected?
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ I'm not sure
If not, what might be happening?
☐ Feed intake
☐ Feed quality
☐ Health
☐ Stress
☐ Water
☐ Forage
☐ Ration
☐ Weather
☐ Weight measurement
☐ Other: __________________________
Your Business Forecast
Current weight: __________ lbs
Current ADG: __________ lbs/day
Days until weigh-in: __________
Expected additional gain: __________ lbs
Estimated weigh-in weight: __________ lbs
Minimum required weight: __________ lbs
Maximum acceptable weight: __________ lbs
Are you on track?
☐ Too light
☐ On track
☐ Getting close to maximum
☐ Potentially too heavy
This is why consistent weighing matters. You have time to make small adjustments rather than discovering a problem at the scale on weigh-in day.
Don't Make Sudden Changes
If something isn't working, don't immediately panic and completely change everything. Sudden changes in diet can disrupt the animal's digestive system and performance.
Make thoughtful changes.
*Watch the animal.
*Record what you changed.
*Then watch what happens.
And when you're unsure call your feed dealer or nutritionist. That's what they're there for.
The Goal Isn't Just More Pounds
Remember what you learned in Part 1. You selected an animal because you believed it had the potential to grow. Now you're trying to manage that potential.
You want:
*Healthy growth.
*Efficient growth.
*Appropriate muscle.
*Appropriate finish.
*Good feed intake.
*Good temperament.
*Good structure.
*And a market-ready product.
The goal isn't to simply dump as much feed as possible into an animal and hope for a big number on the scale. That's not business. The goal is to produce the best product you can while managing the cost of producing it.
Part 5 Challenge
Before you move on, can you answer these questions without guessing?
What did your animal weigh when you started?
__________ lbs
What does it weigh now?
__________ lbs
How much has it gained?
__________ lbs
Over how many days?
__________ days
What is its current ADG?
__________ lbs/day
How many pounds of feed are you actually feeding?
__________ lbs/day
What does that feed cost per pound?
$__________
What does it cost you in feed to add a pound?
$__________
What is your projected sale weight?
__________ lbs
Are you on track to meet your fair's weight requirements?
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ I need to make adjustments
And finally, what is your animal telling you?
The Business Lesson
At the beginning of this series, we told you to stop calling it a project. It's a business and this is where that really starts to make sense.
A business owner doesn't simply spend money and hope. They track, they measure, they evaluate and adjust. They see what is working and what isn't. Your steer or market heifer is no different.
When someone asks, "How much is your animal gaining?” You shouldn't have to shrug your shoulders and say, "I don't know", but be able to tell them.
When someone asks, “How much are you feeding?”
You shouldn't have to say: “Three scoops.
You should be able to tell them exactly how many pounds you're feeding.
And when someone asks, “What do you think he'll weigh at fair?
You should have a reasonable estimate based on the numbers you've been tracking. Because you're not just raising an animal. You're learning how to manage an investment. And that is the business of raising a market animal.
