A laying hen eats roughly a quarter-pound (about 0.25 lb, or 100–150 grams) of complete feed per day — around 1.5 pounds a week — according to University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension (ASC-191). Growing pullets and fast-growing broilers eat less or more depending on their age. The chicken feed calculator above turns that into exact daily, weekly and per-bag numbers for your own flock, so you know how much feed per chicken to buy and what it will cost.
The number the calculator uses
The tool multiplies your bird count by a typical daily intake for the life stage you select. For adult layers the baseline is the well-established quarter-pound-per-day figure; Alabama Cooperative Extension gives the same 100–150 g range. Figures for growing layer birds and broilers are scaled from the weekly feed-consumption tables published by University of Kentucky Extension, which track body weight and feed intake week by week. Because most chickens eat to meet their energy needs, actual intake shifts a little with breed, weather, activity and feed form — the calculator gives a solid planning estimate rather than a fixed ration.
How much feed does a chicken eat per day?
For a mature laying hen, plan on about 0.25 lb per day, with a typical range of roughly 0.22–0.30 lb depending on breed and size — brown-egg and dual-purpose breeds are bigger and eat a little more than lightweight white-egg leghorns. Over a week that is about 1.5 pounds per bird, so a standard 50-lb bag feeds five hens for roughly 40 days. Growing layer pullets eat far less: around 0.09 lb/day in the chick-starter stage (0–6 weeks), about 0.13 lb/day as growers (6–14 weeks), and about 0.15 lb/day as developers (14–18 weeks). Meat birds ramp up quickly — a broiler eats under 0.05 lb/day in week one but around 0.34–0.44 lb/day by weeks 6–9. Non-laying or senior hens eat slightly less than hens in full production, so it is worth limiting feed for them to prevent excess weight.
Chicken feed chart: daily feed and protein by stage
| Bird / stage | Feed per bird per day | Feed type & protein |
|---|---|---|
| Laying hen — in lay (18+ weeks) | ~0.25 lb (0.22–0.30) | Layer, 16–18% protein + calcium |
| Hen — not laying / senior | ~0.22 lb | Layer / all-flock, ~16% |
| Pullet — chick starter (0–6 wk) | ~0.09 lb | Starter, 20–22% |
| Pullet — grower (6–14 wk) | ~0.13 lb | Grower, 16–18% |
| Pullet — developer (14–18 wk) | ~0.15 lb | Developer, 14–16% |
| Broiler — weeks 1–3 | ~0.04–0.15 lb | Broiler starter, 20–23% |
| Broiler — weeks 4–5 | ~0.21–0.27 lb | Broiler grower, 19–20% |
| Broiler — weeks 6–9 | ~0.34–0.44 lb | Broiler finisher, 15–18% |
Protein bands above come from Alabama Cooperative Extension and Oregon State University Extension (PNW 477). If you mix or formulate your own feed, use these as target crude-protein levels for each class of bird; a dedicated feed formulation calculator can help balance ingredients to hit them.
How to use the chicken feed calculator
- Choose what you are feeding: laying hens, growing layer birds, or broilers.
- Pick the age or stage that matches your flock.
- Enter how many birds you keep.
- Set your bag size (defaults to 50 lb) and, optionally, the price per bag to see cost.
- Tick the fermented-feed box if you ferment feed, and read off the daily total, weekly total, days-per-bag and estimated cost.
Chicken Feed Calculator
Estimate how much feed your chickens eat per day, per week, and per bag — with optional cost.
Feed & protein reference chart (by stage)
| Bird / stage | Feed per bird/day | Feed type & protein |
|---|---|---|
| Laying hen — in lay (18+ wk) | ~0.25 lb (0.22–0.30) | Layer, 16–18% + calcium |
| Hen — not laying / senior | ~0.22 lb | Layer / all-flock, ~16% |
| Pullet — chick starter (0–6 wk) | ~0.09 lb | Starter, 20–22% |
| Pullet — grower (6–14 wk) | ~0.13 lb | Grower, 16–18% |
| Pullet — developer (14–18 wk) | ~0.15 lb | Developer, 14–16% |
| Broiler — week 1 | ~0.04 lb | Starter, 20–23% |
| Broiler — week 2 | ~0.09 lb | Starter, 20–23% |
| Broiler — week 3 | ~0.15 lb | Starter, 20–23% |
| Broiler — week 4 | ~0.21 lb | Grower, 19–20% |
| Broiler — week 5 | ~0.27 lb | Grower, 19–20% |
| Broiler — week 6 | ~0.34 lb | Finisher, 15–18% |
| Broiler — week 7 | ~0.37 lb | Finisher, 15–18% |
| Broiler — week 8 | ~0.41 lb | Finisher, 15–18% |
| Broiler — week 9 | ~0.44 lb | Finisher, 15–18% |
Daily figures derived from University of Kentucky Extension (ASC-191) feed tables; protein bands from Alabama Cooperative Extension.
How it works: Feed need = birds × typical intake for that stage. Adult layers average about a quarter-pound of complete feed per day; growing and meat birds are scaled from published extension feed tables. Free-ranging birds may eat a little less.
Disclaimer: Estimates for planning only — not veterinary or nutrition advice. Actual intake varies with breed, weather, activity, feed form, and production level. Offer complete feed free-choice, keep clean water available at all times, and consult a vet or poultry nutritionist for flock-specific decisions.
Sources: Univ. of Kentucky Coop. Extension, ASC-191 (publications.mgcafe.uky.edu/files/ASC191.pdf); Alabama Coop. Extension — Feeding the Laying Hen & Nutrition for Backyard Chicken Flocks (aces.edu); Oregon State Univ. Extension, PNW 477 (extension.oregonstate.edu).
Frequently asked questions
How much feed per chicken per day?
About 0.25 lb (a quarter pound) for a full-grown laying hen, per University of Kentucky and Alabama Extension. Chicks and pullets eat less; broilers eat progressively more as they grow.
How much chicken feed per chicken per week?
Roughly 1.5 lb per week for an adult hen. Five hens go through about 7.5 lb a week, so a 50-lb bag lasts them around 6–7 weeks.
How much does a chicken need if it free-ranges?
Free-range and pastured birds forage for some of their diet and may eat slightly less commercial feed, but they should still have complete feed available. Don’t assume foraging replaces a balanced ration.
How much fermented feed per chicken?
Ferment the same complete feed and offer a similar amount by dry weight. Peer-reviewed reviews report that fermented feed can lower total intake and improve digestibility, though the effect varies with technique — see this review of fermented feeds in poultry. The calculator models a conservative ~12% reduction; check your own feeders and adjust.
How much feed does a broiler eat before processing?
A commercial broiler eats roughly 8 lb of feed to reach about 4 lb liveweight by 6 weeks, and more if grown longer, based on University of Kentucky Extension feed tables.
What protein percentage should chicken feed be?
Broadly: 20–23% for broiler/chick starter, 16–18% for growers and layers, and 14–16% for pullet developer feed, with added calcium for laying hens.
Sources
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension — How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (ASC-191)
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System — Feeding the Laying Hen and Nutrition for Backyard Chicken Flocks
- Oregon State University Extension — PNW 477: How to Feed Your Laying Hens
- Recent advances in fermented feeds for broiler chickens — peer-reviewed review (PMC)
Reviewed for accuracy against University of Kentucky, Alabama and Oregon State Extension publications. Last updated: July 16, 2026.
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