Whether you are planning to get chickens for the first time or looking to add more beauties to your flock, that responsible voice in your head is probably asking you, "How much is this gonna cost me?".
Buying chicken feed is the main ongoing cost of keeping chickens, so you are smart to get the hard numbers.
Use the tool above to calculate the cost of feeding your chickens based on the size and age of your (future) flock. We'll tell you how many pounds and bags of feed you’ll need on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Chicks (0-8 weeks) – Around 0.25 lbs (1/2 to 1 cup) per chick per day or roughly 1-1.5 lbs per week.
- Growers (8-20 weeks) – About 0.25-0.5 lbs (1 cup) per pullet per day or roughly 2-3 lbs per week.
- Layers (20+ weeks) – Typically 0.25-0.5 lbs (1 cup) per hen per day or roughly 2-3 lbs a per week.
Adjust portions if your flock free-ranges or if feed is consistently left over. Monitoring consumption helps maintain a balanced diet without waste. These amounts are estimates & can vary based on the type of feed, individual chicken needs, environmental factors, & breed differences.
Read more:
The Ultimate Chicken Feed Guide: What to Feed & When
Chicken Coop Size Calculator
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4 comments
It might make sense to specify that you are talking about 23lb bags in the calculator results. OR, have the calculator spit out lb. results
New Chicken Mom here 👋. I came on looking for the coop calculator but I’m leaving feeling like a Chicken Guru! So much good information on this site. Thank you 👏
I am interested in raising 4 hens.that is the code in my community..the cost was welcome. Accord ING to your calculator.
I’m planning on buying a few chicks next week and this blog did help me figure out how much feed I would need for them.