Which measurement describes the amount of feed needed to gain one unit of body weight?

• A. Daily feed intake
• B. Milk production
• C. Weight gained per day
• D. Feed conversion ratio

Answer: (C)

Understanding feed efficiency involves looking at how much feed is required to gain a unit of body weight. The measurement that describes this relationship is the feed conversion ratio, calculated as feed intake divided by weight gain. A lower FCR means the animal needs less feed to achieve the same weight gain, indicating better efficiency. This is different from daily feed intake, which just counts how much is eaten each day; weight gained per day, which is the growth rate without tying it to feed use; and milk production, which relates to lactation rather than body weight gain. So, the feed conversion ratio best describes the amount of feed needed to gain one unit of body weight.