Goat Feed Cost
Free Goat Feed Cost calculator with clear step-by-step results.
About Goat Feed Cost
Goat intake is best estimated as a percentage of body weight rather than a fixed quantity, since a 30 kg dairy doe and an 80 kg Boer buck differ enormously. Splitting that intake between forage and concentrate at their own prices gives the cost per goat per day that drives every stocking decision.
Formulas
Dry matter intake
kg DM = body weight x intake percentage
Cost per head per day
Cost = forage kg x forage price + concentrate kg x concentrate price
Worked example
With the default values below, Goat Feed Cost returns Feed cost for the period of $190.08. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Number of goatsaccepts 1–10,000
- 15
- Average body weightminimum 5 kg
- 55 kg
- Dry matter intakeaccepts 1–6 % of body weight
- 3.2 % of body weight
- Share of ration from forageaccepts 0–100 %
- 75 %
- Forage costminimum 0 $/kg DM
- 0.18 $/kg DM
- Concentrate costminimum 0 $/kg
- 0.42 $/kg
- Periodaccepts 1–730 days
- 30 days
Results
- Feed cost for the period
- $190.08
- Cost per goat per day
- $0.422
- Dry matter intake per head per day
- 1.76 kg DM
- Total dry matter consumed
- 792.0 kg
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Dry matter intake
- 3Cost per head per day
- 4Feed cost for the period= $190.08
- 5Cost per goat per day= $0.422
- 6Dry matter intake per head per day= 1.76 kg DM
- 7Total dry matter consumed= 792.0 kg
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 7 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation or tax into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What intake percentage should I use?
Around 3% of body weight for maintenance, 3.5-4% for a lactating doe and up to 5% for fast-growing kids. Browse-heavy systems sit at the lower end because intake is limited by availability.
Can goats live on forage alone?
Maintenance, yes, on good quality browse. Lactation, late pregnancy and growth generally need concentrate to meet energy and protein demand.