Chicken Feed Calculator
Daily and monthly feed with bag days and cost for any flock.
What it does
Chicken feed planning multiplies birds by stage intake: layers near a quarter pound daily, chicks far less, finishers far more. Bag days and monthly cost follow from the daily total.
The tool above takes flock stage with bird count, bag size, and optional price. It returns daily with monthly feed and the monthly cost beside them.
The default ten layers at a 50 lb, $20 bag eat 2.5 lb a day and 75 a month: 20 days per bag for $30.00 a month. Twenty five layers triple nothing per bird but scale the totals straight.
Intakes follow University of Kentucky extension feed tables with Alabama Extension layer guidance matching the quarter pound figure. Both treat free range and winter as small adjustments around it.
How to use
- Pick the flock stage closest to your birds.
- Enter the bird count.
- Enter the bag size in pounds.
- Add bag price for cost, or zero to skip.
- Read daily first, then monthly and cost.
Formula
- 0.25
- Layer pounds per bird daily.
- 30
- Days in the planning month.
- bag
- Pounds per purchased bag.
Starter through finisher rates come from extension growth tables, not the layer rule. Fermented feeding and heavy forage shift real intake around estimates.
Worked example
Example: 10 layers, 50 lb bag at $20
Defaults: layer stage, 10 birds, 50 lb, $20.
- Daily: 10 x 0.25 = 2.5 lb.
- Monthly: 2.5 x 30 = 75 lb.
- Bag days: 50 / 2.5 = 20 days.
- Cost: 75 / 50 x 20 = $30.00 a month.
- Tool shows 2.5 lb / day, 75 lb / mo, $30.00 /mo.
Reference table
| Stage | lb/day | Feed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicks 0-6 wk | 0.09 | Starter 20-22% |
| Growers 6-14 wk | 0.13 | Grower 16-18% |
| Layers | 0.25 | Layer 16-18% + calcium |
| Broilers 6-9 wk | 0.40 | Finisher 15-18% |
Limits
- Planning estimates; breed and weather shift intake.
- Complete feeds assumed with fresh water.
- Bag prices move seasonally.
- Treats and scraps dilute nutrition uncounted.
Common mistakes
- Feeding layer calcium to growing chicks.
- Counting cups instead of weighing pounds.
- Forgetting winter increases intake.
- Letting feeders sit empty half the day.
- Storing bags damp where mold grows.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
25 layers, 50 lb bag?
6.25 lb a day, 187.5 a month.
Bag days above?
50 / 6.25 = 8 days per bag.
20 chicks starter?
20 x 0.09 = 1.8 lb a day.
Questions
How much feed per chicken?
About 0.25 lb a day per laying hen; chicks far less.
How long does 50 lb last 10 hens?
20 days at 2.5 lb a day.
What protein for layers?
16 to 18% layer ration with calcium for shells.
Chicks eat what?
Starter 20-22% to 8 weeks, never layer calcium feeds.
Does free range cut feed?
A little in good pasture months; winter adds back.
Water needs?
About twice feed by weight: 0.5 lb water per layer daily.