The first time you buy feed for 25 meat chicks, the cart looks wrong. Six 50 pound bags for birds that currently fit in a shoebox. But the math is unforgiving, and it is the whole game with broilers: a Cornish Cross eats about 12 pounds of feed in its short life to reach 5 to 8 pounds of live weight. That is roughly 2 pounds of feed for every pound of bird, a conversion ratio no other backyard animal touches. Here is how much feed to raise broiler chickens, what kind, and what it actually costs per bird.
The 2-to-1 rule and the bag math
Feed conversion ratio, pounds of feed per pound of weight gain, is the number commercial growers live by, and backyard growers should too. For Cornish Cross the target sits near 2 to 1. A bird that finishes at 6.5 to 7 pounds live weight, about a 5.5 pound carcass after processing, has eaten somewhere between 9 and 14 pounds of feed to get there. Ohio State's 4-H poultry materials use 2 pounds of feed per pound of gain as the standard planning figure, and extension data from Kansas State records about 12 pounds of feed per bird at a 4 pound final weight in small-flock conditions.
Translate that into bags. For a batch of 25 broilers at 12 pounds each, you need 300 pounds of feed, which is six 50 pound bags. At a typical mill price around $0.40 a pound, the feed bill is about $120 for the batch, or $4.80 per bird. A 50 bird batch is 12 bags and roughly $240. People consistently underestimate this, because 25 chicks look like they could not possibly eat 300 pounds of anything. They can, and they will, mostly in the last three weeks when a single bird can put away 6 ounces a day.
Starter, grower, finisher: the protein schedule
Broilers do not eat one feed their whole lives. The standard schedule runs broiler starter at 20 to 24% protein for the first two to three weeks, then grower or finisher at 18 to 20% protein until processing. The high-protein start builds the frame fast; the lower-protein finish keeps them gaining without the leg problems that come from growing too fast on too rich a ration. Backyard keeper forums report good results with 22 to 24% starter and 18 to 20% finisher, and experienced growers warn specifically against feeding layer feed to meat birds: at 16% protein and high calcium, it is formulated for eggshells, not muscle, and it will slow a broiler down.
One management trick matters more than brand choice: restricted feeding. Cornish Cross will eat themselves into leg failure if given 24 hour feed access past about week two. Many growers pull feeders at night, 12 hours on and 12 hours off, once the birds feather out. It costs nothing, it barely slows growth, and it is the difference between birds that walk to the feeder and birds that do not.
What the feed really costs per finished bird
The feed is the biggest line item, but it is not the whole budget. For a typical backyard batch: $4.80 in feed per bird, $2 to $4 for the day-old chick, a share of bedding and heat for the brooder, and processing, which runs $4 to $7 a bird at a licensed facility or an afternoon of your own labor at home. All in, most backyard batches land between $8 and $14 per finished bird for a 5 to 6 pound carcass.
Compare that against the store and the honest answer is that it depends on your feed price and your processing setup. Home processing with a $25 bag of feed from the local mill beats the grocery store on a per-pound basis for a comparable bird. Paying retail feed prices at the chain store and $6 a bird for processing probably does not. The two numbers that swing it most are mortality, every bird that dies at week six ate $4 of feed for nothing, and feed waste, which is why a decent hanging feeder beats a trough.
Cornish Cross vs slower breeds
Everything above assumes Cornish Cross, the bird bred for one job. Freedom Rangers and similar slower-growing meat breeds need 9 to 12 weeks instead of 6 to 8, and heritage dual-purpose birds raised for meat can take 16 to 20 weeks. The longer timeline means more total feed per pound of meat, though the slower birds forage better and have fewer leg problems. If your goal is the cheapest possible freezer chicken, Cornish Cross wins and it is not close. If your goal is birds that act like chickens and meat with more flavor, the slower breeds charge you in feed for the privilege. Neither choice is wrong, but they are different budgets, so pick before you order chicks.
Frequently asked questions
How many pounds of feed does a broiler chicken eat to reach butcher weight?
A Cornish Cross broiler eats roughly 9 to 14 pounds of feed to reach 5 to 8 pounds live weight in 6 to 8 weeks, with 12 pounds a common planning figure. That reflects a feed conversion ratio near 2 to 1.
What protein percentage should broiler chicken feed have?
Broiler starter should be 20 to 24% protein for the first few weeks, dropping to 18 to 20% for the finisher phase. Do not feed layer feed to meat birds; the calcium level and lower protein slow their growth.
How much does the feed cost per broiler chicken?
At around $0.40 per pound, 12 pounds of feed costs about $4.80 per bird. With chicks, bedding, and processing, most backyard batches land between $8 and $14 per finished bird.
Do broiler chickens need different feed than laying hens?
Yes. Meat birds need higher protein and lower calcium than layers, and they eat far more, up to 6 ounces or more per day at peak, roughly double a laying hen's intake.
How long does it take to raise broiler chickens to butcher weight?
Cornish Cross reach butcher weight in 6 to 8 weeks. Slower-growing breeds like Freedom Rangers need 9 to 12 weeks; heritage dual-purpose birds can take 16 to 20 weeks.
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