How much feed does a chicken eat per day?

A standard adult laying hen often eats about 0.24 to 0.28 pounds of feed per day, or roughly 1.7 to 2 pounds per week. Bantams usually eat less and large breeds or meat birds may eat more.

How many bags of chicken feed do I need per month?

Divide your flock's monthly feed estimate by the weight of one bag, then round up. For example, six adult laying hens eating about 0.25 pounds each per day need about 45 pounds in a 30-day month before waste, which is about one 50-pound bag.

Should I add a waste buffer to chicken feed estimates?

Yes. A 5% to 15% buffer is useful because chickens spill feed, weather can spoil feed, and actual appetite changes with breed, age, temperature, pasture, and treats.

Chicken Feed Calculator

Calculate feed for your backyard chicken flock

Estimate how many pounds of chicken feed you need per day, week, month, or custom season. Add a waste buffer, bag size, and feed price to plan what to buy.

Estimated monthly feed 50 lb For 6 adult laying hens

Number of chickens Chicken type

Feed per bird per day (lb) Waste buffer

Planning period Bag weight (lb)

Price per bag ($) Pasture / kitchen scrap adjustment

How to use the chicken feed calculator

Start with your flock size and the closest chicken type. The calculator uses common planning amounts for backyard flocks, then lets you adjust the pounds per bird per day if your feed label, breed, weather, or experience suggests a different number.

For adult laying hens, a practical starting point is about 1/4 pound of feed per chicken per day. Appetite can change with breed size, egg production, molt, heat, cold, free-ranging, treats, and feeder style.

Quick chicken feed planning examples

6 laying hens: about 45 lb per 30 days before waste, usually one 50 lb bag.
12 laying hens: about 90 lb per 30 days before waste, usually two 50 lb bags.
4 bantams: often around 18 lb per 30 days before waste.

FAQ

How much feed does one laying hen need each day?

Many adult laying hens eat around 0.24 to 0.28 pounds of feed per day. Use 0.25 lb as a simple planning number, then adjust if your flock consistently leaves feed or empties feeders early.

How long will a 50 lb bag of chicken feed last?

Divide 50 by your flock's daily feed use. Six hens eating 0.25 lb each use 1.5 lb per day before waste, so a 50 lb bag lasts about 33 days before adding any spill buffer.

Can free-ranging reduce the feed I need to buy?

Sometimes, but do not count on pasture replacing a complete ration. Free-ranging may reduce feed use slightly during good forage seasons, while winter, molt, and heavy laying can increase appetite.