How much does it cost to feed chickens per month
Feeding one laying hen costs about $2.28 a month and $27.39 a year at the published price of $15.00 for a 50 lb bag of layer feed (University of Maryland Extension FS-2025-0783, Backyard Layer Flock Economics (page dated Aug 2026), 2026-09-19), because a hen eats 4.0 oz (113 g) of complete feed a day (Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19). Six hens cost $13.70 a month and $164 a year, 11 bags. The tables below give the cost for flocks of 3 to 50, what a different bag price does to it, and what a scratch share saves; the calculator does it for your own flock and bag price.
Open the chicken feed calculator
Feed cost per month and per year for flocks of 3 to 50 hens
Standard laying hens at 4.0 oz of complete feed each a day (Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19), no scratch share, 50 lb bags at $15.00 (University of Maryland Extension FS-2025-0783, Backyard Layer Flock Economics (page dated Aug 2026), 2026-09-19). Per month is 30.44 days and per year 365.25 days; bags are exact first, then rounded up to what you buy. The per-month guide has the same flocks in pounds and kilograms of feed.
| Hens | Bags per month (50 lb) | Cost per month | Bags per year | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0.5 (buy 1) | $6.85 | 5.5 (buy 6) | $82 |
| 6 | 0.9 (buy 1) | $13.70 | 11 | $164 |
| 10 | 1.5 (buy 2) | $22.83 | 18.3 (buy 19) | $274 |
| 12 | 1.8 (buy 2) | $27.39 | 21.9 (buy 22) | $329 |
| 25 | 3.8 (buy 4) | $57.07 | 45.7 (buy 46) | $685 |
| 50 | 7.6 (buy 8) | $114.14 | 91.3 (buy 92) | $1,370 |
What a different bag price does to the cost
The published $15.00 is one fact sheet's price on one date; yours will differ by store, brand, bag size and month. The cost moves in step with the bag price, so the table takes example prices for a 50 lb bag and shows the cost per hen and for the calculator’s starting flock of 6 hens. Read off the row nearest your price, or type the exact price into the calculator.
| Bag price (50 lb) | Per hen per month | Per hen per year | 6 hens per month | 6 hens per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.52 | $18.26 | $9.13 | $110 |
| $12.00 | $1.83 | $21.92 | $10.96 | $131 |
| $15.00 | $2.28 | $27.39 | $13.70 | $164 |
| $18.00 | $2.74 | $32.87 | $16.44 | $197 |
| $20.00 | $3.04 | $36.53 | $18.26 | $219 |
| $25.00 | $3.80 | $45.66 | $22.83 | $274 |
Scratch, treats and scraps: what the share saves
Scratch grain and kitchen scraps replace complete feed rather than adding to it, and the usual advice is to keep them at or under 10% of what the birds eat (University of Maryland Extension, Feeding the Flock (updated 11 May 2022), 2026-09-19). In the calculator the treats share comes out of the complete feed you buy, so the bag count and the bill drop by that share, and you buy scratch instead.
| Ration | Complete feed per hen per day | Bags per month | Cost per month | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete feed only | 4.0 oz | 0.9 (buy 1) | $13.70 | $164 |
| 10% scratch or scraps | 3.6 oz | 0.8 (buy 1) | $12.33 | $148 |
Kitchen scraps are free, so the second row is the whole saving from scraps; bought scratch is not, so compare its price per pound with the complete feed before you count it as a saving.
In kg: sacks per month and per year, for your own sack price
No neutral source publishes a UK or continental price per sack, so the table stops at sacks: multiply by what you pay for a 20 kg sack.
| Hens | Feed per month | Sacks per month (20 kg) | Sacks per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10.4 kg | 0.5 (buy 1) | 6.2 (buy 7) |
| 6 | 20.7 kg | 1.04 (buy 2) | 12.4 (buy 13) |
| 10 | 34.5 kg | 1.7 (buy 2) | 20.7 (buy 21) |
| 12 | 41.4 kg | 2.1 (buy 3) | 24.9 (buy 25) |
| 25 | 86.3 kg | 4.3 (buy 5) | 51.8 (buy 52) |
| 50 | 173 kg | 8.6 (buy 9) | 103.5 (buy 104) |
What the feed bill does not include
- Grit and oyster shell: small amounts, bought a few times a year, and needed whether or not the hens free-range.
- Raising replacements: a pullet eats about 15.3 lb of starter and grower before her first egg, at starter and grower prices, not layer.
- Waste: feed raked out of an open trough, soaked by rain or eaten by rodents is bought and never counted; a covered feeder closed at night is the cheapest fix there is.
- Bedding, water, housing and the birds themselves: the figures here are complete feed only.
Work it out for your own flock
The chicken feed calculator takes your birds, their stage, the feed per bird, a treats share and the bag you buy at your price, and gives the cost per month and per bird with the bags and how long a bag lasts, in lb and $ or in kg and £ or €. The per-day guide has the feed per bird by stage that the cost is built on.
Amounts are published averages for planning, not veterinary advice; prices are a fact sheet’s example, not a quote.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to feed one chicken per month?
- About $2.28 a month for a standard laying hen at $15.00 per 50 lb bag (University of Maryland Extension FS-2025-0783, Backyard Layer Flock Economics (page dated Aug 2026), 2026-09-19): she eats 7.6 lb a month, 0.15 of a bag. At $25.00 a bag it is $3.80; the price table above has the steps between.
- How much does it cost to feed 6 chickens per month?
- $13.70 a month for six standard laying hens at $15.00 a bag: 0.9 (buy 1) bags of 50 lb, one bag every 33 days. Per year that is 11 bags and $164.
- How much does chicken feed cost per year?
- $27.39 per hen and $164 for six at $15.00 a bag, fed every day of the year: 91.3 lb per hen, 1.8 (buy 2) bags. Free-ranging in summer replaces part of the bought feed, so the bags you buy, and the bill, are usually a little under the table.
- Does feeding scratch make chickens cheaper to keep?
- Only a little, and only if the scratch is cheaper than complete feed per pound. Scratch replaces complete feed rather than adding to it, and the usual cap is 10% of what the birds eat (University of Maryland Extension, Feeding the Flock (updated 11 May 2022), 2026-09-19): for six hens that takes the complete feed from $13.70 to $12.33 a month, and you then buy the scratch. Complete feed is where the protein and calcium are, so the cap is the point, not the saving.
- How much does it cost to feed chickens in the UK?
- No neutral source publishes a UK price per sack, so multiply your own: a hen eats 3.5 kg a month, 0.17 of a 20 kg sack, so the monthly cost per hen is your sack price times that; six hens use 1.04 (buy 2) sacks a month and 12.4 (buy 13) a year. Type the sack price into the calculator and it does the multiplication.
- How can I cut the feed bill?
- The bag price is the biggest lever you control: for six hens, $12.00 a bag instead of $15.00 is $10.96 a month instead of $13.70, so a larger bag, a feed-store account or a shared pallet pays. After that: a covered feeder closed at night so rodents and wild birds do not eat what you bought, free-ranging in summer, and weighing what you put out for a week so the calculator runs on your figure, not the average.
More guides
- How much to feed chickens per day
Complete feed per hen per day by stage, and feed per day, per month, bags and cost for flocks of 3 to 50 birds, from published figures with their sources.
- How much feed does a chicken eat per month (and per year)
Feed one chicken eats per month and per year in lb and kg by stage, how long a bag lasts one bird, and feed, bags and cost per year for flocks of 3 to 50.
- How much feed does a chick eat per day, and to point of lay
Starter per chick per day to 8 weeks and grower to 18 weeks in oz and g, feed per chick to point of lay, bags and cost for batches of 3 to 50 chicks.
- How much hay does a horse eat a day, a month and a year
Hay per horse per day from body weight, what to put out with waste, bales per week, month, winter and year, by weight, forage share and feeder, with sources.
Last updated 2026-09-22. Figures are planning estimates built from published feeding guidance, each with its source and year: adjust for your own animals and follow the guide on the bag. Not veterinary advice.