Dry Matter Intake & How Much Should It Eat?

Dry matter intake is the amount of feed an animal eats per day measured on a moisture-free (dry) basis. Because feeds vary hugely in water content, DMI is the fair way to compare and balance rations — and it sets the ceiling on how much energy and protein an animal can consume, and so how much it can produce.

For lactating dairy and buffalo this tool uses the field rule DMI = 2% of body weight + 0.1 kg per litre of milk. For other classes it uses a class-typical percentage of body weight (dry cow ~2%, growing cattle ~2.5%, goat/sheep ~3%). It then converts DMI to as-fed feed using your ration's dry-matter percentage.

As-fed (or fresh) weight includes the water in the feed; dry matter excludes it. A cow needing 14.5 kg of dry matter on a ration that is 45% dry matter must actually be offered 14.5 ÷ 0.45 ≈ 32 kg of as-fed feed. The tool shows both so you know how much to physically put in the manger.

A high-producing dairy cow eats roughly 3–4% of her body weight in dry matter daily. A 600 kg cow giving 25 litres needs about 14.5 kg DM (≈ 2.4% of body weight plus the milk allowance). Intake rises with milk yield and falls with poor-quality, bulky or unpalatable feed.

It's the daily dry matter intake divided by body weight, expressed as a percent — a quick benchmark. Dry cows sit near 2%, growing stock around 2.5%, and high-yielding dairy cows 3.5–4%. The tool computes it so you can sanity-check the ration against typical ranges for the class.

It's how the dry matter splits between roughage (grass, hay, silage) and concentrates (grain, cake, compound feed). Lactating cows are often around 55–60% forage; finishing animals lower. The tool splits DMI by the ratio and shows the as-fed kg of each so you can build the daily ration.

Because it converts the dry-matter target into the actual feed you weigh out. Lush green fodder may be only 18–20% dry matter, hay around 88%, and a mixed ration about 45%. Enter your ration's value and the tool tells you the as-fed quantity — vital for fresh, watery feeds where as-fed weight is much higher than DM.

Offer 5–10% extra feed so animals can select and leave refusals, keep feed fresh and palatable, ensure constant clean water (intake and water go together), feed more often, and raise the energy and protein density of the ration rather than just its bulk — a small rumen can only hold so much volume.

Strongly. Animals short of water eat less dry matter and produce less. A lactating cow can drink 3–5 litres of water per litre of milk, plus maintenance needs. Always pair a DMI plan with adequate clean drinking water — see the Livestock Water Requirement calculator.

They use widely taught field rules of thumb suitable for planning and feed budgeting. For precise rationing of high-yielding herds, refine with NRC or ICAR feeding standards that account for stage of lactation, body condition, feed quality and energy density. Use this tool to get close, then fine-tune.