How much feed does a chicken eat per month (and per year)
One standard laying hen eats about 7.6 lb (3.5 kg) of complete feed a month and 91.3 lb (41.4 kg) a year, from 4.0 oz (113 g) a day (Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19). That is 0.15 of a 50 lb bag a month, so one bag lasts one hen about 200 days; a flock of six goes through 11 bags a year, $164 at $15.00 a bag. The tables below give the same figures by stage, in lb and in kg, and per year for flocks of 3 to 50 birds; the calculator does it for your own flock and bag.
Open the chicken feed calculator
Feed per chicken per month and per year, by stage
One bird, the calculator’s starting figure for each stage (each with its source on the per-day guide), times 30.44 days for a month and 365.25 days for a year. The chick and pullet rows are what a bird at that stage eats in a month; a chick is only a chick for 8 weeks, so the chick guide counts its feed to 8 and to 18 weeks instead.
| Stage | Per day | Per month (30.44 days) | Per year (365.25 days) | Days one 50 lb bag lasts one bird |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laying hen, standard breed | 4.0 oz | 7.6 lb | 91.3 lb | 200 days |
| Laying hen, bantam | 4.0 oz | 7.6 lb | 91.3 lb | 200 days |
| Meat bird (broiler), growing | 4.3 oz | 8.1 lb | 97.6 lb | 187 days |
| Chick, 0-8 weeks (starter) | 1.6 oz | 3 lb | 35.6 lb | 513 days |
| Pullet, 8-18 weeks (grower) | 2.3 oz | 4.3 lb | 51.5 lb | 354 days |
The same birds in kg, UK sack
| Stage | Per day | Per month (30.44 days) | Per year (365.25 days) | Days one 20 kg bag lasts one bird |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laying hen, standard breed | 113 g | 3.5 kg | 41.4 kg | 176 days |
| Laying hen, bantam | 113 g | 3.5 kg | 41.4 kg | 176 days |
| Meat bird (broiler), growing | 121 g | 3.7 kg | 44.3 kg | 165 days |
| Chick, 0-8 weeks (starter) | 44 g | 1.3 kg | 16.1 kg | 452 days |
| Pullet, 8-18 weeks (grower) | 64 g | 1.9 kg | 23.4 kg | 313 days |
How many pounds of feed per chicken per month: the arithmetic
A standard laying hen's rule of thumb is a quarter pound of feed a day (Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19). A month is 30.44 days on average, so 4.0 oz x 30.44 = 7.6 lb; in grams, 113.4 g x 30.44 = 3,452 g, or 3.5 kg. Over a year (365.25 days) it is 91.3 lb (41.4 kg). For a flock, multiply by the birds; for bags, divide by the bag weight and round up when you buy. Per month the count is small and fractional, which is why the yearly table below is the useful one for a feed budget.
Feed, bags and cost per year for flocks of 3 to 50 hens
Standard laying hens fed complete feed every day of the year, no scratch share, the US starting bag. The per-day guide has the same flocks per month; the cost guide shows what a different bag price does to the last column.
| Birds | Per month | Per year | Bags per year (50 lb) | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 22.8 lb | 274 lb | 5.5 (buy 6) | $82 |
| 6 | 45.7 lb | 548 lb | 11 | $164 |
| 10 | 76.1 lb | 913 lb | 18.3 (buy 19) | $274 |
| 12 | 91.3 lb | 1,096 lb | 21.9 (buy 22) | $329 |
| 25 | 190 lb | 2,283 lb | 45.7 (buy 46) | $685 |
| 50 | 380 lb | 4,566 lb | 91.3 (buy 92) | $1,370 |
The same flocks in kg, UK sacks
| Birds | Per month | Per year | Bags per year (20 kg) | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10.4 kg | 124 kg | 6.2 (buy 7) | — |
| 6 | 20.7 kg | 249 kg | 12.4 (buy 13) | — |
| 10 | 34.5 kg | 414 kg | 20.7 (buy 21) | — |
| 12 | 41.4 kg | 497 kg | 24.9 (buy 25) | — |
| 25 | 86.3 kg | 1,035 kg | 51.8 (buy 52) | — |
| 50 | 173 kg | 2,071 kg | 103.5 (buy 104) | — |
Why the month is not the same all year
- Winter: birds burn feed to stay warm and there is nothing to forage, so the bag count runs at or above the table.
- Summer free-ranging: grass, insects and scraps replace part of the bought feed, and the monthly figure drops below the table.
- Lay and moult: a hen in full lay eats more than one moulting or resting in autumn.
- Waste: an open feeder loses feed to raking, rain, wild birds and rodents; that feed is bought but never eaten.
The honest yearly figure for your flock: note the date each time you open a bag, count the bags over twelve months, and type the average into the calculator.
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, and gives feed per day and per month, bags per month, how long a bag lasts and the cost per month and per bird from your own bag price, in lb and oz or in kg and g.
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 many pounds of feed does a chicken eat per month?
- About 7.6 lb for a standard laying hen: 4.0 oz a day (Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19) times 30.44 days. A growing meat bird eats more and a chick far less; the stage table above has each figure.
- How much feed does a chicken eat per month in kg?
- 3.5 kg a month for a standard laying hen, from 113 g a day. In a 20 kg sack that is 0.17 of a sack, so one sack lasts one hen about 176 days.
- How much feed does a chicken eat per year?
- 91.3 lb (41.4 kg) of complete feed for a standard laying hen fed every day of the year: 1.8 (buy 2) bags of 50 lb. Free-ranging in summer replaces part of that, so the bags you actually buy are usually fewer.
- How many bags of feed do 6 chickens need a year?
- 11 bags of 50 lb for six standard laying hens, 548 lb (249 kg) of feed, $164 at $15.00 a bag. Per month it is 0.9 (buy 1) bags, and a bag lasts the six about 33 days.
- How long does a 50 lb bag of feed last one chicken?
- About 200 days for one standard laying hen at 4.0 oz a day. Divide by the number of birds for a flock: six hens empty the same bag in about 33 days.
- How much feed does a chick eat per month?
- About 3 lb (1.3 kg) of starter, from 1.6 oz (44 g) a day averaged over the first 8 weeks (University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19); the first week is far less and week 8 far more. The chick guide has the feed per chick to 8 and to 18 weeks.
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 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 does it cost to feed chickens per month
Feed cost per hen per month and per year at a published bag price, cost for flocks of 3 to 50, how the bag price changes it and what a scratch share saves.
- 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.