Chicken Feed Calculator

A standard adult laying hen eats about 1/4 lb (4 oz, roughly 115 g) of complete feed per day, or about 1.5 lb per week. That is the starting point used in this calculator; growers, broilers, chicks, and bantams each have their own base rate.

Yes. Below roughly 40F, chickens burn extra calories staying warm, and surveys of pastured flocks show winter intake rising by about a quarter to a third over summer levels. This calculator applies a 15% winter bump by default. In deep, prolonged cold, budget closer to 25-30% more.

Birds on real pasture with access to insects, seeds, and greens typically cut purchased feed by 20-30% during the growing season. It is not free though; they still need layer feed for balanced nutrition, especially calcium for shells.

One laying hen eats a 50 lb bag in about 200 days. So a flock of 6 hens goes through roughly one 50 lb bag per month. Enter your own flock size above and the calculator tells you exactly, including bags per month.

Feed cost per dozen depends heavily on lay rate, not feed price. A hen eats about the same 1.75 lb per week whether she lays 3 eggs or 6. Old, molting, or broody hens that barely lay can push your per-dozen feed cost above $4. Check the lay-rate input above and see what happens when you move it.

With a balanced complete feed, chickens mostly self-regulate. Obesity usually comes from too many treats (scratch, corn, kitchen scraps), which should stay under about 10-15% of daily intake. Keep layer feed available and treats limited.