How much feed does a chick eat per day, and to point of lay
A chick eats about 1.6 oz (44 g) of starter a day averaged over its first 8 weeks (University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19): 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) per chick from hatch to 8 weeks. From 8 to 18 weeks a pullet eats 2.3 oz (64 g) of grower a day, 9.9 lb (4.5 kg) more, so a pullet reaches point of lay having eaten about 15.3 lb (7 kg). Ten chicks go through 54.6 lb of starter and then 98.8 lb of grower, 1.1 (buy 2) and 2 bags of 50 lb, about $50 at the published bag prices. The tables below give the same figures per chick and for batches of 3 to 50; the calculator does it for your own birds and bag.
Open the chicken feed calculator
Feed per chick per day, by stage
Complete starter and grower only, before any scratch or scraps. The published figures are totals per stage (University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19); the per-day column is that total divided by the days, so it is an average across a stage in which the bird grows several times over.
| Stage | Per day (oz) | Per day (g) | Days | Per bird over the stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chick, hatch to 8 weeks (starter) | 1.6 oz | 44 g | 56 | 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) |
| Pullet, 8 to 18 weeks (grower) | 2.3 oz | 64 g | 70 | 9.9 lb (4.5 kg) |
| Hatch to 18 weeks, total | — | — | 126 | 15.3 lb (7 kg) |
| Meat bird (broiler), week 5 of 9 | 4.3 oz | 121 g | — | — |
- Meat bird (broiler), growing: UKY ASC-191 Table 1, week 5: 1.87 lb a week = 121.2 g a day (7-week average 95 g)
- Chick, 0-8 weeks (starter): UKY ASC-191 Table 2: 5.46 lb over the first 8 weeks = 44.2 g a day on average (week 1 is far less)
- Pullet, 8-18 weeks (grower): UKY ASC-191 Table 2: 9.88 lb between 8 and 18 weeks = 64 g a day
The first week is far less than the average
A broiler chick has to eat at least 170 g in its first 7 days to stay on its growth curve (UF/IFAS VM099, Broiler Production Goals (undated), 2026-09-19), about 24 g a day, and layer-breed chicks eat less than that. Against the 8-week average of 44 g a day, week one is a fraction and week 8 is well above it. Two things follow for buying feed: the first bag of starter lasts far longer than the table suggests, and the last two weeks of the stage empty a feeder faster than you expect. Fill the feeder, keep it clean and dry, and let the chicks set the pace; the figure here is for knowing how many bags to have in the shed.
Starter and grower for batches of chicks, with bags
Chicks raised to lay, the US starting bag, fed every day. Bags are exact first, then rounded up to what you buy; a small batch leaves most of a bag of starter over, so check the date on the bag before you keep it for a second batch.
| Chicks | Starter to 8 weeks | Starter bags (50 lb) | Grower 8 to 18 weeks | Grower bags (50 lb) | Total feed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 16.4 lb | 0.3 (buy 1) | 29.6 lb | 0.6 (buy 1) | 46 lb | $15 |
| 6 | 32.7 lb | 0.7 (buy 1) | 59.3 lb | 1.2 (buy 2) | 92 lb | $30 |
| 10 | 54.6 lb | 1.1 (buy 2) | 98.8 lb | 2 | 153 lb | $50 |
| 12 | 65.5 lb | 1.3 (buy 2) | 119 lb | 2.4 (buy 3) | 184 lb | $60 |
| 25 | 136 lb | 2.7 (buy 3) | 247 lb | 4.9 (buy 5) | 383 lb | $125 |
| 50 | 273 lb | 5.5 (buy 6) | 494 lb | 9.9 (buy 10) | 767 lb | $251 |
The same batches in kg, UK sack
| Chicks | Starter to 8 weeks | Starter bags (20 kg) | Grower 8 to 18 weeks | Grower bags (20 kg) | Total feed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7.4 kg | 0.4 (buy 1) | 13.4 kg | 0.7 (buy 1) | 20.9 kg |
| 6 | 14.9 kg | 0.7 (buy 1) | 26.9 kg | 1.3 (buy 2) | 41.7 kg |
| 10 | 24.8 kg | 1.2 (buy 2) | 44.8 kg | 2.2 (buy 3) | 69.6 kg |
| 12 | 29.7 kg | 1.5 (buy 2) | 53.8 kg | 2.7 (buy 3) | 83.5 kg |
| 25 | 61.9 kg | 3.1 (buy 4) | 112 kg | 5.6 (buy 6) | 174 kg |
| 50 | 124 kg | 6.2 (buy 7) | 224 kg | 11.2 (buy 12) | 348 kg |
When starter ends and grower begins
The extension tables split a pullet’s feed at 8 weeks (starter, then grower) and stop at 18 weeks, when a pullet is near point of lay; the calculator’s chick and pullet stages follow the same split. Feed brands draw the lines at slightly different ages and some sell one starter-grower ration for the whole period, so the switch itself follows the guide on your bag. For buying feed the split hardly matters: the total to 18 weeks is 15.3 lb (7 kg) per bird either way.
Why your chicks may eat more, or less
- Breed: the figures are for dual-purpose (brown-egg) pullets; light Leghorn-type pullets eat a little less, heavy breeds a little more, and broilers several times more.
- Brooder heat: a cold brooder makes chicks eat to stay warm; a too-hot one makes them eat less and drink more.
- Waste: chicks scratch feed out of an open trough; a feeder with a lip or a hanging feeder set at back height keeps most of it in.
- Losses and sales: a batch rarely keeps its hatch-day count for 18 weeks; recount before you buy the grower.
Work it out for your own chicks
The chicken feed calculator takes your birds, the chick or pullet stage, the feed per bird and the bag you buy, and gives feed per day and per month, bags per month, how long a bag lasts and the cost from your own bag price. Once the birds lay, the per-day guide, the per-month guide and the cost guide take over.
Amounts are published averages for planning, not veterinary advice; a vet or a poultry nutritionist decides what an individual bird needs.
Frequently asked questions
- How much feed does a chick eat per day?
- About 1.6 oz (44 g) of starter a day, averaged over the first 8 weeks (University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19). It is an average: a day-old chick eats a few grams and an 8-week-old pullet well over the figure, which is why chicks are fed free-choice and the number is used for buying feed, not for measuring a portion.
- How much starter feed do I need for 10 chicks?
- 54.6 lb (24.8 kg) of starter from hatch to 8 weeks: 1.1 (buy 2) bags of 50 lb. Then 98.8 lb (44.8 kg) of grower to 18 weeks, 2 bags. Buy the second bag of starter only if the first runs out early; the leftover is easier to avoid than to use.
- How much does a chick eat in the first week?
- Very little: a broiler chick must eat at least 170 g (6.0 oz) over its first 7 days to hit its target weight (UF/IFAS VM099, Broiler Production Goals (undated), 2026-09-19), about 24 g a day against the 44 g a day of the 8-week average. Layer-breed chicks eat less still. Keep starter in front of them from day one; the amount takes care of itself.
- How much feed does a chick eat until it lays?
- About 15.3 lb (7 kg) from hatch to 18 weeks: 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) of starter to 8 weeks and 9.9 lb (4.5 kg) of grower after (University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19, Table 2, dual-purpose pullets). A light Leghorn-type pullet eats a little less; the same table's Leghorn figures are in the sources under the calculator.
- How much does it cost to feed a chick to point of lay?
- About $5.02 per chick at the published US bag prices (starter $17.00, grower $16.00 a 50 lb bag; University of Maryland Extension FS-2025-0783, Backyard Layer Flock Economics (page dated Aug 2026), 2026-09-19): $1.86 of starter and $3.16 of grower. A batch of 10 costs about $50. Type your own bag prices into the calculator for your figure.
- How much feed does a broiler chick eat per day?
- Far more than a layer chick, and rising every week: 4.3 oz (121 g) a day in week 5 of a 9-week grow-out (University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19). Set the calculator's stage to meat bird for a broiler batch; the chick and pullet figures on this page are for birds raised to lay.
More guides
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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.