How this calculator works
The starting point is how much feed an average bird eats in a day: about a quarter-pound (0.25 lb) for a laying hen, a third of a pound for a broiler, and a tenth of a pound for a chick, based on OSU Extension backyard poultry figures. That gets multiplied by your flock size and your feed price per pound.
From there we adjust for the things that change your real bill. There's a 7% waste allowance for feed that gets kicked out of the feeder or spoils. Free-ranging or regular table scraps knock 15% off, since foraging birds buy less feed. Winter adds 10%, because chickens eat more to stay warm. The breakdown line in the tool shows every step, so nothing is hidden behind a single number.
Is raising chickens cheaper than buying eggs?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and the honest answer depends on your setup. A laying hen eats roughly 0.25 lb of feed a day and lays about 0.8 eggs a day on average. At $22 for a 50 lb bag, that pencils out to a few dollars per dozen at home. Free-ranging flocks and keepers who limit waste usually come in under the store. Small flocks with high waste often don't win on price alone.
What the store can't sell you is a same-day egg, breed variety, and knowing exactly what your hens were fed. Plenty of keepers happily pay a small premium for that. The calculator gives you the real per-dozen number so you can decide for yourself instead of guessing.