Afeed ratio is a measure of profitability ofanimal husbandry, expressed as the ratio between the cost of food and the price of the final product.
For example, inpig farming, the hog/corn ratio is the number ofbushels ofcorn equal in value to 100 pounds of livehogs. Put another way, it is the price of hogs, perhundredweight, divided by the price of corn per bushel. Since corn is a major input cost to hog producers, the higher the price of hogs relative to corn, the more profit there is in feeding hogs.[1]
Indairy farming, the milk-feed price ratio is a measure of the value of 16% protein ration to one pound ofwhole milk. As with the hog/corn ratio, this relationship is an indicator of the profitability of milk production.[2]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromJasper Womach.Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition(PDF).Congressional Research Service.
