Cattle Feed & Dry Matter Calculator
Work out daily dry matter need and balance green fodder, dry straw and concentrate feed from body weight and milk yield.
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Please note: This calculator provides a mathematical estimate based on the values entered. Recommended agricultural application rates can vary by crop, soil, product formulation, location and official agricultural guidance. Check the product label and local agricultural recommendations before application.
Enter your animal's body weight and daily milk yield, and this calculator splits its daily ration into kilograms of concentrate, green fodder and dry fodder – using the dry-matter rules followed by dairy extension workers in India.
About the Cattle Feed & Dry Matter Calculator
An animal's appetite is limited by how much dry matter (the feed left after removing water) it can eat in a day. Green fodder is about 80% water, so 20 kg of green maize or berseem gives only about 4 kg of dry matter, while 4 kg of wheat straw gives about 3.6 kg. Planning a ration on dry matter avoids both underfeeding and waste.
This calculator follows the common Indian extension method:
- Total dry matter = 2.5–3.5% of body weight a day.
- Concentrate = a maintenance amount (1–1.5 kg) plus 400 g per litre of cow milk or 500 g per litre of buffalo milk.
- Roughage fills the rest of the dry matter, split between green fodder and dry fodder in the ratio you choose.
The answer is in fresh weight – the kilograms you actually weigh out – assuming 20% dry matter in green fodder and 90% in straw and concentrate.
How to use the Cattle Feed & Dry Matter Calculator
- 1 Choose cow or buffalo.
- 2 Enter body weight and today's milk yield. If you don't know the weight, use a weighing tape or the heart-girth method.
- 3 Keep dry matter intake at 3% unless your animal is dry (2.5%) or a high yielder (3.5%).
- 4 Set how much of the roughage should come from green fodder, then press Calculate.
The formula we use
Dry matter (kg) = Body weight × DMI% ÷ 100
Concentrate (kg) = Maintenance + Milk (L) × 0.4 (cow) or 0.5 (buffalo)
Roughage dry matter = Dry matter − Concentrate × 0.9
Green fodder (kg) = Roughage DM × Green share ÷ 0.20
Dry fodder (kg) = Roughage DM × (1 − Green share) ÷ 0.90Drinking water is estimated at about 4 litres per kg of dry matter plus 1 litre per litre of milk; in hot weather animals may drink much more – always keep clean water available.
Worked example
A 400 kg crossbred cow giving 10 litres a day, dry matter intake 3%, half the roughage as green fodder.
- Dry matter = 400 × 3% = 12 kg.
- Concentrate = 1.5 + 10 × 0.4 = 5.5 kg (4.95 kg dry matter).
- Roughage dry matter = 12 − 4.95 = 7.05 kg.
- Green fodder = 3.53 kg DM ÷ 0.20 = 17.6 kg; dry fodder = 3.53 kg DM ÷ 0.90 = 3.9 kg.
Things to keep in mind
- Add mineral mixture and salt – usually 50 g of mineral mixture and 30 g of salt a day for a milking animal.
- Legume green fodder such as berseem or lucerne is rich in protein; with plenty of it, some concentrate can be saved. Ask your veterinary officer.
- Change feed slowly over 7–10 days to avoid digestive upsets.
- Pregnant animals in the last two months need about 1–1.5 kg of extra concentrate.
Frequently asked questions
How much concentrate should a cow get per litre of milk?
A common rule is 400 g per litre for cows and 500 g per litre for buffaloes, on top of 1–1.5 kg for maintenance.
How much green fodder does a cow need per day?
A 400 kg cow typically eats 15–25 kg of green fodder a day, depending on how much dry fodder and concentrate it gets.
What is dry matter?
It is what remains of the feed after all the water is removed. Rations are planned on dry matter because fodders contain very different amounts of water.
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