Guide
Average Daily Gain (ADG) Explained
Average daily gain is one of the most useful numbers in a show livestock project -- and one of the most misunderstood. Here's what it actually means and how to use it.
What ADG actually is
Average daily gain is exactly what it sounds like: the average amount of weight an animal gains per day over a given period. It's calculated as total weight gained divided by the number of days it took to gain it -- a straightforward number that turns two weigh-ins into a rate you can actually plan around.
Why it matters more than any single weigh-in
One weigh-in tells you where an animal is today. ADG tells you where it's headed. Two animals can be the exact same weight right now and be in completely different positions relative to their show weight goal, depending on how many days are left and how fast each one is actually gaining.
Working out the ADG you need
Take the weight still needed to reach the target, divide it by the days remaining until the show, and that's the required ADG going forward -- which you can then compare against the animal's actual recent gain to see if the current plan is on track. Our Target Weight Calculator does this calculation automatically from current weight, target weight, and days remaining.
What moves ADG
Genetics set a ceiling, but feed quality and quantity, water access, weather stress, and overall health all move an animal's actual gain within that ceiling. A drop in ADG is often the first visible sign of a problem -- a health issue, a feed change that didn't sit right, or stress -- before anything else becomes obvious.
If ADG falls off track
A single low weigh-in isn't necessarily a problem -- scales, timing, and gut fill all introduce noise. A sustained trend below the required ADG over multiple weigh-ins is the signal worth acting on: recheck the ration, rule out health issues, and loop in your advisor or a vet if the trend doesn't correct itself.
See ADG trend automatically as you log weigh-ins.
ShowReady OS charts weight over time and flags when an animal is falling behind its target -- before it becomes a show-day surprise.
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