Free Dairy Margin Over Feed Cost Calculator

Estimate dairy farm profitability by calculating the margin between daily milk revenue and feed cost per cow. When MOFC turns negative, raw milk supply tightens.

Free, no login Farm-level economics Supply leading indicator

Milk production

28.0 L/cow/day
15 L 50 L L/day
42.0 €/100kg
€25 €70 €/100kg

Feed inputs

22.0 kg/cow/day
15 kg 35 kg kg/day
320 €/t
€200 €550 €/t

Results are per cow, using 1.03 kg/L milk density as EU standard.

How the calculation works

What is MOFC and why do procurement teams track it?

Margin Over Feed Cost is the daily income a dairy farm makes after paying for feed, its biggest variable cost. When MOFC turns negative, farmers cut cow numbers or reduce production intensity, which tightens raw milk supply 3 to 6 months later. Procurement teams use it as a leading indicator.

What counts as a healthy MOFC?

Rules of thumb vary by region and farm structure, but broadly: above 8 euros per cow per day is strong, 4 to 8 is healthy, 0 to 4 is tight, and below 0 puts farms under survival pressure. In high-cost EU regions like Northern Europe, the stress threshold is higher.

Why does the calculator use 1.03 kg per litre?

Whole milk density is approximately 1.028 to 1.032 kg/L. The calculator uses 1.03 as a standard EU benchmark. If your regional milk price is quoted per litre rather than per 100 kg, divide your price by 1.03 to convert.

What feed costs should I enter?

Use your blended ration cost, the weighted average cost per tonne of total dry matter intake for a lactating cow. As a reference, EU total mixed rations (TMR) typically run 250 to 380 euros per tonne depending on corn and soy prices.