Dairy Profit Per Animal Calculator
Work out the daily and monthly profit from a milking animal after feed cost.
Profit per animal = milk revenue − feed cost − other costs. 'Margin over feed cost' (revenue − feed) is the quickest cull/keep test: an animal that doesn't cover its feed is losing money every day. Track it per animal to find passengers in the herd.
Indicative planning figures based on published research averages. Local soil tests, varieties and weather change actual requirements — confirm with your agronomist or extension officer.
Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.
Dairy and livestock farmers use the free Dairy Profit Per Animal Calculator for an accurate answer in seconds — no formulas to remember, works offline at the farm.
About Dairy Profit Per Animal Calculator
Not every cow in a herd earns her keep, and the only way to know is to do the sums per animal. This tool calculates daily and monthly profit from a milking animal after feed and other costs, and highlights the 'margin over feed cost' — the fastest keep-or-cull test. An animal whose milk doesn't cover even her feed is draining the dairy daily, while tracking this number across the herd reveals the high-margin animals worth breeding from and the passengers worth culling.
How to use Dairy Profit Per Animal Calculator
- 1Enter your animal/herd figures into the inputs.
- 2Read the headline result and the supporting breakdown.
- 3Apply the guidance in the note to your feeding decisions.
Why use Dairy Profit Per Animal Calculator?
- ✓Uses the standard, citable dairy-nutrition formula
- ✓Clear inputs with sensible defaults
- ✓Instant result with the working shown
- ✓Free, fully in-browser and private
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a dairy cow is profitable?+
Subtract her daily feed and other costs from her milk revenue. If the result is negative — or if milk revenue doesn't even cover feed (negative margin over feed) — she is losing money and is a cull candidate unless she's dry or freshly calved.
What is 'margin over feed cost'?+
It's milk revenue minus feed cost alone — the quickest profitability screen, since feed is the biggest variable cost. A healthy milking animal should comfortably clear her feed cost; one that doesn't is unprofitable at current yield and prices.
Is this tool free and private?+
Yes — free, no sign-up, and all calculation runs in your browser, so it works offline at the farm and your data never leaves the device.
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