Farming livestock
Pasture forage supply and feed budget
Compare measured pasture dry-matter supply with an entered livestock group demand over a chosen grazing period.
Your inputs
Complete the fields for your selected method. Zero means intentionally zero, not unknown. Currency selection labels amounts; it does not convert exchange rates.
How this calculation works
usable dry matter = acres × dry matter/acre × usable fraction; demand = animals × dry matter/head/day × days; gap = demand - usable supply
Supply dry-matter measurements and animal requirements from a qualified source for your pasture and livestock. Usable share is your own grazing/residual policy, not a recommended stocking rate. No regrowth, supplement substitution, nutritional adequacy, weather or grazing-system design is inferred. Do not enter wet forage pounds as dry matter. Use your own records for the same scope and period. Example figures are illustrative, not industry benchmarks. Results exclude income taxes and any cost you have not entered. Check the result before pricing work or committing resources.
What information do I need?
Use records for the same job, equipment or accounting period. Only the fields for your selected entry method are required. An unknown amount is not zero.
Input definitions and where to find them
- Pasture area included (acres): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero.
- How will you enter standing forage?: Choose the entry method matching the information you have. Only its active inputs are required.
- Measured standing dry matter (lb dry matter/acre): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero. Used with: Measured pounds of dry matter per acre.
- Total standing dry matter (lb dry matter): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero. Used with: Known total standing dry matter.
- Your usable share after residual and losses (%): Enter a percentage from your records or an explicitly chosen scenario. No typical or recommended rate is supplied.
- Animals in this group (head): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero.
- Supplied dry-matter requirement per head per day (lb dry matter/head/day): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero.
- Grazing period without adding assumed regrowth (days): Use the matching measured quantity, time log, schedule or clearly stated estimate. Zero means intentionally none; an unknown amount is not zero.
Use the Where to find this value controls beside the inputs for available work-it-out helpers. Estimates remain your assumptions; a helper does not verify the source figures.
Worked example
Example amounts use US dollars (USD).
Example answer: Usable pasture dry matter is 12,000.00 lb dry matter for the illustrative inputs below.
Example inputs
- Pasture area included: 20.00 acres
- How will you enter standing forage?: Measured pounds of dry matter per acre
- Measured standing dry matter: 1,500.00 lb dry matter/acre
- Your usable share after residual and losses: 40.00 %
- Animals in this group: 20 head
- Supplied dry-matter requirement per head per day: 25.00 lb dry matter/head/day
- Grazing period without adding assumed regrowth: 30.00 days
- Usable pasture dry matter
- 12,000.00 lb dry matter
- Group demand over entered period
- 15,000.00 lb dry matter
- Additional dry matter needed
- 3,000.00 lb dry matter
- Days supported by entered usable supply
- 24.00 days
- Surplus after entered demand
- 0.00 lb dry matter
These illustrative values are not recommended rates or industry averages. Replace every example input with your own figures.
Use the result well
Compare measured pasture dry-matter supply with an entered livestock group demand over a chosen grazing period. Inputs come from your own records and stated assumptions; no rates or legal limits are looked up.
Keep inputs on the same scope and time basis. Calculations retain precision internally; displayed values generally round to two decimal places, with extra precision for very small values and whole-unit rounding where required. Economic comparisons describe your supplied assumptions and do not guarantee future results.
This tool provides business arithmetic. It does not approve engineering designs, establish legal or tax treatment, select equipment or certify safe operating conditions.