This is the single number everything else in flock budgeting builds on, so it's worth getting right. Here's what a chicken actually eats per day, broken down by type and size, plus the factors that push that number up or down.
The baseline numbers
A laying hen eats about a quarter-pound (0.25 lb) of feed per day on average, based on Extension-service backyard poultry guidance. Broilers, bred to grow fast, eat more, around a third of a pound (0.33 lb) a day. Chicks eat far less, roughly a tenth of a pound (0.1 lb) a day, scaling up as they grow toward adult size.
| Category | Example breeds | Daily feed (lb/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Bantam | Silkie, Serama | 0.06 - 0.10 |
| Standard layer | Leghorn, Rhode Island Red | 0.22 - 0.28 |
| Large / heavy breed | Brahma, Jersey Giant | 0.30 - 0.38 |
| Broiler | Cornish Cross | 0.30 - 0.40+ (rises near market weight) |
Why the real number moves around
Four things push actual consumption above or below the baseline. Breed size matters, larger breeds eat more than the average figure suggests. Season matters a lot, chickens eat roughly 10% more in winter to maintain body heat. Free-ranging cuts purchased feed by around 15%, since foraging birds supplement their diet with bugs and plants. And feed waste, birds kicking feed out of the feeder or it spoiling, adds a realistic 7% on top of what's actually eaten.
Turning daily feed into a real budget
Multiply daily feed per bird by your flock size and your feed price per pound, then layer in the adjustments above, and you get an accurate weekly or monthly number instead of a rough guess. That's exactly what our feed cost calculator does: enter your flock size and feed price, toggle free-ranging and winter if they apply, and get the real number along with bags-needed and how-long-one-bag-lasts.
| Flock size | Feed needed per month |
|---|---|
| 2 hens | ~16 lb |
| 4 hens | ~32 lb |
| 6 hens | ~48 lb |
| 10 hens | ~80 lb |
| 20 hens | ~161 lb |
A quick example
Six laying hens at 0.25 lb a day each is 1.5 lb of feed daily. Add a 7% waste allowance and that's about 1.6 lb a day, or roughly 48 lb a month, just under one standard 50 lb bag. Free-range those same hens and it drops closer to 41 lb a month. Small percentage adjustments, but they add up over a year.
What this means for buying feed
Knowing your real monthly feed need tells you how many bags to buy at once, which matters if bulk pricing or storage space is a factor. A 50 lb bag lasting roughly a month for six hens means monthly restocking; a larger flock might justify buying two bags at a time if you have dry, pest-proof storage for it.