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Cattle moving onto fresh pasture on a family farm in Goochland County, Virginia
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Feed cost comparer

A cheap ton of wet feed isn't always cheap. Enter your quotes and forage test results to compare up to four feeds per ton of dry matter and per pound of energy (TDN).

Your feeds

Price per ton (2,000 lb) as fed, delivered. Dry matter and energy come from the forage or feed test; energy is optional. Corn priced by the bushel? $/bu × 35.7 = $/ton (56 lb bushel).

Showing example numbers so you can see how it works - replace them with your own quotes and feed tests.

Cheapest first

Corn silage is the cheapest per pound of TDN (energy) on these numbers.

  1. 1Corn silage11.6¢/lb TDN

    $157 per ton of dry matter · 7.9¢/lb DM

  2. 2Shelled corn12.3¢/lb TDN

    $216 per ton of dry matter · 10.8¢/lb DM

  3. 3Grass hay18.3¢/lb TDN

    $205 per ton of dry matter · 10.2¢/lb DM

Ranked by cost per pound of TDN (total digestible nutrients).

Link to this comparison

How we work it out

  • Per ton of dry matter: price ÷ dry matter %. Water in the feed costs money but doesn't feed the animal.
  • Per pound of TDN: cost per pound of dry matter ÷ TDN %, shown in cents. In metric: cost per kg of DM ÷ MJ ME per kg DM. Switching units turns TDN into MJ roughly (MJ ME ≈ TDN % × 0.15), so use your test's own figure when you have it.
  • Ranking: by energy when every feed has an energy figure, otherwise by dry matter.

Price per unit is only part of the choice: protein, fiber, wastage (hay stored outside can lose a lot), freight, storage, feeding-out costs and how your stock handle a change of diet all matter. Talk to your vet, nutritionist or county Extension agent before changing a ration. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere. Working out how much to buy? Try the feed budget calculator.

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