Chicken Feed Calculator
Work out weekly feed use, how long a bag of layer feed lasts, and your monthly feed cost.
Free-ranging birds trim this 10 to 20% since they forage part of their diet. Winter and molt push it back up as hens eat more to keep warm and regrow feathers.
How it works
A laying hen eats roughly a quarter pound of layer feed a day, so the calculator multiplies your hen count by 0.25 lb and by 7 to get a weekly total. For how long a bag lasts, it divides the bag size by your flock's daily feed use and rounds down, since a bag that would technically stretch a fraction further doesn't really give you an extra full day. Monthly cost takes that same daily rate, scales it to an average 30.437-day month, and multiplies by how many bags that month's feed works out to at your bag price.
Worked example: 6 hens eat 10.5 lb a week. A 50 lb bag at that rate lasts 33 days, just over a month, and works out to about $20.09 a month at $22 a bag. Switch to a smaller 25 lb bag at $18 for 4 hens instead, and the monthly cost comes out closer to $21.91, since the smaller bag costs more per pound even though the sticker price is lower.
FAQ
Does free-ranging really cut feed costs that much?
Yes, though the exact amount depends on how much good forage is available. Birds with regular access to bugs, grass, and kitchen scraps typically eat 10 to 20% less commercial feed than birds confined to a coop and run, though they still need feed available at all times as their main diet.
Why does feed use go up in winter?
Chickens burn extra energy staying warm in cold weather, so they naturally eat more, and a molting hen also eats more to regrow feathers. Expect actual feed use to run above this calculator's estimate during the coldest months and right after a molt.
Is a quarter pound a day accurate for every breed?
It's a solid average for a standard-size layer breed. Bantams eat noticeably less, closer to half that amount, while larger dual-purpose or meat-type birds can eat somewhat more, so treat this as a starting estimate and adjust after watching your own flock for a couple of weeks.
Should I buy the bigger bag to save money?
Usually, if you can store it properly in a dry, rodent-proof container before it goes stale or gets contaminated. A larger bag almost always costs less per pound, but feed does lose nutritional value over time, so don't buy more than your flock will go through in a couple of months.
For more on feeding your flock, see how much to feed chickens per day, what to feed backyard chickens, a complete guide, and layer feed vs. starter vs. grower, what to use when.