How much to feed chickens per day
A standard laying hen eats about 4.0 oz (113 g) of complete feed a day (Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19). Six hens eat 1.5 lb a day and 45.7 lb a month: 0.9 (buy 1) bags of 50 lb, one bag every 33 days. The tables below give the same figures for flocks of 3 to 50 birds, by stage, and the calculator does it for your own flock and bag.
Open the chicken feed calculator
Feed per bird per day, by stage
Complete feed only, before any scratch or scraps. These are the calculator’s starting values, each with its source and the date it was read; the calculator lets you change them.
| Stage | Per day (oz) | Per day (g) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laying hen, standard breed | 4.0 oz | 113 g | Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19 |
| Laying hen, bantam | 4.0 oz | 113 g | University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19 |
| Meat bird (broiler), growing | 4.3 oz | 121 g | University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19 |
| Chick, 0-8 weeks (starter) | 1.6 oz | 44 g | University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19 |
| Pullet, 8-18 weeks (grower) | 2.3 oz | 64 g | University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat? (2012), 2026-09-19 |
- Laying hen, standard breed: Mississippi State Extension and UKY ASC-191: about 1/4 lb (113.4 g) of feed a day
- Laying hen, bantam: No published number: UKY ASC-191 says only that bantams eat less than standard hens, so the standard hen's 1/4 lb (113.4 g) is the starting point; lower it for your birds
- 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
Feed per day, per month and bags for common flock sizes
Standard laying hens, no treats share, the US starting bag. Per month is 30.44 days; bags are exact first, then rounded up to what you buy.
| Birds | Feed per day | Per month | Bags per month | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12.0 oz | 22.8 lb | 0.5 (buy 1) | $7 |
| 6 | 1.5 lb | 45.7 lb | 0.9 (buy 1) | $14 |
| 10 | 2.5 lb | 76.1 lb | 1.5 (buy 2) | $23 |
| 12 | 3 lb | 91.3 lb | 1.8 (buy 2) | $27 |
| 25 | 6.3 lb | 190 lb | 3.8 (buy 4) | $57 |
| 50 | 12.5 lb | 380 lb | 7.6 (buy 8) | $114 |
The same flocks in kg, UK bag
| Birds | Feed per day | Per month | Bags per month | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 340 g | 10.4 kg | 0.5 (buy 1) | — |
| 6 | 680 g | 20.7 kg | 1.04 (buy 2) | — |
| 10 | 1.1 kg | 34.5 kg | 1.7 (buy 2) | — |
| 12 | 1.4 kg | 41.4 kg | 2.1 (buy 3) | — |
| 25 | 2.8 kg | 86.3 kg | 4.3 (buy 5) | — |
| 50 | 5.7 kg | 173 kg | 8.6 (buy 9) | — |
Scratch grains, treats and kitchen scraps
Scratch and scraps replace complete feed rather than adding to it, and complete feed is where the protein and calcium are, so 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 drops a little and the ration stays the same.
Why your flock may eat more, or less
- Breed and size: heavy dual-purpose breeds eat more than light layers; bantams eat less.
- Laying and moulting: a hen in full lay eats more than one resting or moulting.
- Weather: cold pushes intake up; heat pulls it down and the birds drink more.
- Foraging: free-ranging birds replace part of the bought feed with what they find, most of all in summer.
- Waste: open feeders lose feed to raking, wind, wild birds and rodents; a covered feeder closed at night brings the bag count down.
The honest way to find your own figure: weigh what you put out for a week, divide by seven and by the birds, and type that 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 much feed does one chicken eat per day?
- About 4.0 oz (113 g) of complete feed for a standard laying hen (Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and Nutrition (undated), 2026-09-19), and about 4.0 oz (113 g) for a bantam. Heavy breeds, cold weather and laying push it up; free-ranging in summer pulls it down.
- How much feed do 6 chickens eat per day?
- 1.5 lb (680 g) a day for six standard laying hens at 4.0 oz each, or 45.7 lb a month.
- How many chickens will a 50 lb bag feed?
- A 50 lb bag feeds six laying hens for about 33 days at the US starting values; the table above shows how long it lasts for other flock sizes. Divide the bag weight by the flock's daily feed for any other bag.
- Should I feed chickens once or twice a day?
- The daily amount is what matters for buying feed; how it is split is up to you. Most keepers leave complete feed in a covered feeder so the birds eat little and often, and give scratch or scraps late in the day so the complete feed is eaten first.
- Do chickens eat more in winter?
- Usually yes: birds burn feed to stay warm, and there is less to forage. Expect the bag count to rise in cold months and to fall when the flock free-ranges in summer; weigh what you put out for a week in each season and use that figure in the calculator.
Last updated 2026-09-19. 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.