University of Baghdad
Question
Asked 10 November 2017
How to calculate the Feed Conversion Rate (FCR) in free-choice diets?
Hi!
I would like to calculate the FCR for a diet-induced obesity experiment in rats. Since I have many nutrients/groups, I am calculating the food intake (FI) in kcal, not in grams of food. Has anybody ever calculated the FCR in kcal or knows a valid formula for it? I am not sure whether estimating the FCR as kcal/g of weight gain would be correct, since both the FI and the weight gain need to be in similar units. Some of the works I have been reading are not discerning between foods, and estimate the FCR as FI (g) / weight gain (g).
Many thanks in advance!
Fiona
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Qassim University
The FCR is simply the amount of feed it takes to grow a kilogram of fish. For example, if it requires two kilograms of feed to grow one kilogram of fish, the FCR would be two.
This means that when a feed has a low FCR, it takes less feed to produce one kilogram of fish then it would if the FCR were higher. A low FCR is a good indication of a high quality feed.
Ministry of Agriculture and water resources
I think the following formula is the best for research
YDO = Y / (Wt-Wt-1)
YDO = Feed conversion rate
Y: Amount of feed spent during the period (g)
Wt: Average weight at the end of the period (g).
Wt-1: Average weight per period (g).
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