More than half of all crops in the U.S are used for animal feed. In 2023, counting only the animal feed share of the top 10 crops, animal feed is the ultimate usage for ~54% of all crops harvested.[1-4]
An analysis of animal feed usage for crops outside of the top 10 would, of course, increase this percentage, since some of those usages are significant. Additionally, there are many types of animal feed usage within the top 10 crops that are not included due to lack of firm data. (See final question)
Top 10 Crops Harvested: USDA NASS (2023) Acreage, ISSN: 1949-1522, Crop Area Planted and Harvested, Yield and Production in Domestic Units, 2023, p. 32. [Total animal feed usage of 167.7 million acres / total crops harvested of 313 million acres = ~54%] [Note: As a base, we use the USDA’s estimate of 313 million acres in “Total crops harvested” (column B in Summary table 3) which accounts for all land for harvested crops, including double-cropped acres. Crop rank is based on planted acres.]
All Crops Harvested: [USDA Economic Research Service, Major Land Uses (2023) Summary Table 3, Total crops harvested.
Note: Our assumption throughout this page is that crop usage for animal feed directly translates into crop acreage. In other words, if a crop is produced on 10 million acres and 50% of usage goes to animal feed, then we estimate 5 million acres are used for animal feed. In many cases, especially corn and soy, much of the production goes to processing plants that then produce animal feed, among other products. Therefore, it is not a direct crop-to-animal-feed connection. Still, it is a reasonable way, and perhaps the best way, to assess overall feed crop usage through the metrics of acreage.
The references for all the percentages for specific crops on this page can be found throughout the other pages in this category.
More than 58% of the top 10 crops in the U.S. went to animal feed in 2023. This is the share of harvested acreage that went to animal feed directly or as a coproduct after processing.[1] The top 10 crops in the U.S. made up ~92% of all harvested cropland in 2023.[2]
In 2023, ~167.7 million acres harvested for animal feed / top 10 crops harvested (286.9 million acres) = 58.5%. [See references above]
In 2023, the top 10 harvested crops = 286.9 million acres /all total crops harvested of 313 million acres == 91.7%.
Considering only the share of the production of top 10 crops used for food (for humans or animals), about 66% of harvested top 10 crops went to animal feed in 2023.[1]
The calculation is an estimate of the share of animal feed as a portion of all animal and human food. The crops generating non-food products are cotton and that portion of corn processed for ethanol. The share of whole foods for humans from these top 10 crops is very low.
This calculation is made by subtracting 6.4 million acres for cotton and 25.1 million acres for corn ethanol from the total top 10 acreage. The ethanol figure is derived from the share of corn used for ethanol (36.6%) x the portion that goes to ethanol only (79.3% with the remainder DDGs for animal feed and corn oil uses) = 29.0% of 86.5 million acres (harvested corn without added silage acres) = 25.1 million acres. Animal feed acres of 167.7 million / 255.4 million acres (286.9 – 6.4 – 25.1) = 65.7%.
Of the top 3 crops, ~69% goes to animal feed.[1]
The top 3 crops make up ~73% of all harvested cropland.[2]
In 2023, ~157.5 million acres harvested for animal feed / top 3 crops harvested (228.2 million acres) = 69%. [See references in question 1]
In 2023, the top 3 harvested crops = 228.2 million acres / total crops harvested of 313 million acres == 72.89%.
There are multiple animal feed uses that are not included in these calculations. They could add several percentage points to the totals, due to the following factors:
Crops are often used directly for forage, especially corn, hay, and sorghum. We have no specific data on how prevalent these practices are, though they are common. For example, livestock eat hay or sorghum directly or consume them as swath forage (i.e., grazing crops cut and left out in windrows).[1-3] These uses are not considered harvests, so the acres are not included in USDA estimates.
Also not considered in USDA data is the practice of harvesting a crop for a secondary usage, i.e., harvesting wheat not as grain but as “hay” or “silage” for animal feed.[4,5]
Two of the top 10 crops (cotton and oats) are commonly used for feed but are not included because of a lack of firm data on the amounts.[6-8]
A potentially large factor is processed oil used as animal feed. The use of corn oil and soy oil as feed additives is common and could possibly increase the total by several percentage points since they are both major outputs from vast amounts of cropland.[9-11]
Also not included are animal feed shares for crops outside the top 10. Many are partially used for feed including rye, sunflower seeds, and peanuts (with harvested acreage ranking 11, 12, and 13) along with portions of smaller crops including flax seed and millet.
More analysis and research in this area would be valuable. A deeper understanding of the degree to which animal feed dominates U.S. agriculture would potentially inform ag policy, heighten pollution mitigation efforts, and shift consumer choices.
South Dakota State University Extension (2023) Swath Grazing. https://extension.sdstate.edu/swath-grazing
McCartney & Baron, “Extending the Grazing Season: Swath Grazing by Beef Cows,” Cool Forages: Advanced management of temperate forages. https://farmwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/45-AFM-2013-45-McCartney.pdf
Dahlke, G. R. (2022) Swath Grazing Forage Sorghum and Pearl Millet Observations Regarding Quality and Utilization as Winter Feed, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 2021, 17(1):15553. https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/12602/
Beef Magazine (2023) Winter wheat may be more valuable for grazing, hay crop this spring. https://www.beefmagazine.com/grazing-systems/winter-wheat-may-be-more-valuable-for-grazing-hay-crop-this-spring [“For some producers, the option to graze out wheat or harvest it as hay may net more value per acre than harvesting it for grain, especially if grazing would keep them from purchasing additional feed at current market prices.”]
Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, Cropwatch (2023) Pasture and Forage Minute: Wheat Grazing vs. Grain Value, Choosing Summer Forage, https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2023/pasture-and-forage-minute-wheat-grazing-vs-grain-value-choosing-summer-forage [“Cereal grains like wheat are grown for dual purpose (forage and grain) production in the Central Plains and Southern Plains states.”]
Univ of Georgia Extension (2022) Using Cotton Byproducts in Beef Cattle Diets, Bulletin 1311. https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201311_3.PDF
Dr. Jacquie Jacob, Univ. of Kentucky (2023) Cottonseed Meal in Poultry Diets, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. https://poultry.extension.org/articles/feeds-and-feeding-of-poultry/feed-ingredients-for-poultry/oilseed-meals-in-poultry-diets/cottonseed-meal-in-poultry-diets/
Beef-Cattle Extension (2019) Can I use oats as a feed for beef cattle? https://beef-cattle.extension.org/can-i-use-oats-as-a-feed-for-beef-cattle/
USDA APHIS (July 16, 2024) Swine 2021 Part II: Reference of Management Practices on Large-Enterprise Swine Operations in the United States, Tables C.6.a, D.6.a, E.6.a, F.6.a. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/swine-2021-part-ii-reference-management-practices-large-enterprise-swine-operations-united-states [Notes the share of farm operations that use corn oil (6%) and soy oil (19%) in pig nursery diets.]
U.S. Grains Council, DDGS User Handbook, 4th ed., Chemical Composition and Energy Value of Distillers Corn Oil for Swine and Poultry, p. 15. [“Distillers Corn Oil is used as a high quality energy source primarily in poultry and swine diets because of its high metabolizable energy (ME) content and relatively low price compared with other feed fats and oils.”]
Feed & Livestock Magazine (2019) Soybeans: The best oil for animal feed.http://www.feedlivestock.com/soybeans-best-oil-animal-feed/