Feed Budget & How Many Days It Lasts
Feeds cattle
Enter herd size, intake per head and feed in stock to get how many days of feed you have, the daily herd demand, weeks until you run out, and any shortfall — so you buy before it's too late.
Enter your feed & herd
Next: if days of feed fall short of the period you must cover, buy or conserve the shortfall now (it's cheaper than panic-buying later), or reduce numbers/intake.
Uses as-fed intake; convert via dry-matter % for ration accuracy, and keep a safety buffer for weather and price spikes.
Feed budget — key facts
- Daily herd demand
- animals × intake per head
- Days of feed
- stock ÷ daily demand
- Weeks until run-out
- days of feed ÷ 7
- Stock for a target
- demand × target days
- Shortfall
- stock needed − stock held
- Basis
- as-fed; convert via dry-matter %
- Best practice
- keep a safety buffer
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Know the run-out date before it arrives
Running out of feed is one of the most expensive surprises in livestock farming — when the shed empties in a dry season or the depths of winter, you buy whatever's left at whatever it costs. A feed budget removes the surprise. Work out the herd's daily demand from the number of animals and what each eats, divide your stock by it, and you know how many days the feed lasts. Compare that to the period you must cover and you can see a shortfall coming weeks ahead, while there's still time to act cheaply.
This tool gives the days of feed, daily herd demand, weeks until you run out, the stock needed for a target period and any shortfall. It works on an as-fed basis — convert via the dry-matter percentage for ration accuracy — and it pays to keep a safety buffer for cold spells and wastage. Pair it with the Dry Matter Intake, Pasture Budget, Livestock Feed and Silage Pit Capacity tools to plan feed across the whole lean season.
See the run-out date
Days and weeks until the feed is gone.
Buy before prices rise
Lead time to source feed cheaply.
Plan dry seasons
Know the stock a lean period needs.
Catch shortfalls early
Spot the gap while there's time to act.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a feed budget?+
A feed budget matches the feed you have in stock against what the herd eats, to tell you how many days it will last. It's how you plan ahead — so you buy or conserve feed before you run out rather than panic-buying at high prices later. It's vital in dry seasons, winter or any lean stretch when grazing or supply is short.
How are days of feed calculated?+
Daily herd demand = number of animals × intake per head. Days of feed = feed in stock ÷ daily herd demand. For example 30 animals each eating 10 kg a day demand 300 kg/day, so 6000 kg of stock lasts about 20 days. The tool also converts that into weeks so you can see at a glance how close the run-out is.
What if the days fall short of the period I must cover?+
Then you have a shortfall. The tool shows the stock needed to cover your target period and the gap between that and what you hold. Act early — buy in the shortfall, conserve feed, or reduce numbers or intake. Securing feed before everyone else needs it is almost always cheaper than panic-buying when supply is tight.
Should I use as-fed or dry-matter intake?+
This tool uses as-fed intake and as-fed stock, which is the simplest way to plan because it matches the weight you actually buy and store. For ration accuracy you can convert via the dry-matter percentage of the feed — but keep both intake and stock on the same basis so the days figure stays correct.
How do I find the intake per head?+
Use the typical daily feed each animal eats. On a dry-matter basis it's about 2–3% of body weight, more for lactating or growing stock; on an as-fed basis it's higher because of moisture. A 500 kg cow eats roughly 12–15 kg DM/day. Use the Dry Matter Intake calculator if you want to work it out precisely.
Why keep a safety buffer?+
Demand rarely stays exactly to plan — cold snaps, poor grazing, extra stock or wastage all push it up, and feed can spoil. Building in a buffer (a week or two of extra stock) means a bad spell doesn't leave you empty. Plan to cover a bit more than the bare period so you're never caught short.
Can I plan for a whole dry season or winter?+
Yes — enter the target number of days you need to cover and the tool shows the stock required and any shortfall. That's exactly how to plan a dry season or winter: work out total demand for the period, compare it to what you've conserved, and arrange the balance well before grazing or supply runs out.
Does it work for any livestock?+
Yes — cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats or mixed stock. Just enter the number of animals and the right intake per head for them, in a consistent unit with your feed stock. The days-of-feed logic is the same across species; only the intake figure changes with animal type and size.
How accurate is the days-of-feed figure?+
It's a solid planning figure based on steady intake. Real consumption shifts with weather, animal condition, feed quality and wastage, and stock can spoil or be measured loosely. Re-check your stock and animal numbers regularly and adjust — a feed budget is for steering and ordering ahead, not exact prediction.
How does this cut my feed costs?+
By giving you lead time. When you know the run-out date weeks ahead, you can buy feed when prices are reasonable, source it from the best supplier, or conserve a surplus now — instead of scrambling for whatever's available at peak prices when it's already scarce. Planning ahead is the cheapest feed insurance there is.