Livestock & Poultry

July 5, 2026

How Much Feed Does a Chicken Need Per Day?

The daily feed intake of a chicken depends on its age, breed, body weight, production stage, and the weather. Getting this number right is critical because feed is typically 60 to 70 percent of your total production cost in a poultry operation.

Underfeeding leads to poor egg production, slow growth, and weakened immune function. Overfeeding wastes money and can lead to overweight hens with reduced laying performance. This guide gives you the real numbers you need, organized by bird type and situation.

Quick Answer: Daily Feed Intake by Bird Type

Bird Type	Daily Feed Intake	Notes
Laying hen (light breed, e.g. Leghorn)	100 to 120 grams	Adult, in production
Laying hen (medium breed, e.g. Rhode Island Red)	120 to 140 grams	Adult, in production
Laying hen (heavy breed, e.g. Orpington)	140 to 160 grams	Adult, in production
Broiler chick (week 1)	10 to 15 grams	Days 1 to 7
Broiler (week 3)	80 to 100 grams	Rapid growth phase
Broiler (week 5 to 6, near slaughter)	150 to 180 grams	Peak consumption
Pullet (8 to 18 weeks)	60 to 90 grams	Growing, not yet laying
Rooster (adult)	130 to 150 grams	Maintenance feeding

For your specific flock size and mix of bird types, use the Poultry Feed Calculator to calculate total daily, weekly, and monthly feed consumption, and estimate your total feed cost at your local price per kg.

Factors That Change Daily Feed Intake

1. Body Weight

Feed intake scales with body size. A general rule used in commercial poultry:

Daily feed intake (grams) = approximately 1/10 of body weight in grams

So a 1.5 kg hen eats roughly 150 grams per day. A 1.0 kg Leghorn eats roughly 100 to 110 grams. This is a useful quick estimate, though breed-specific data is more accurate.

2. Egg Production Status

Hens actively laying eggs require significantly more feed than non-laying hens of the same size. Egg production requires protein, calcium, and energy above maintenance levels.

A laying hen producing one egg every 25 to 26 hours needs:

Extra protein to form the egg white (albumin)
Extra calcium to form the shell (approximately 4 grams of calcium per egg)
Extra energy from carbohydrates and fats

This is why laying hens are fed dedicated layer feed with 16 to 17 percent protein and added calcium (typically 3.5 to 4 percent in the diet), rather than general chicken feed.

3. Age and Growth Stage

Age / Stage	Feed Type	Typical Intake
Day-old to 2 weeks	Chick starter	10 to 30 grams per day
2 to 8 weeks	Chick starter or grower	30 to 70 grams per day
8 to 18 weeks (pullet)	Grower	60 to 90 grams per day
18 weeks to end of lay	Layer pellets	110 to 150 grams per day
During moult	Layer or grower	Intake drops 10 to 20 percent

4. Temperature and Weather

Chickens eat more feed in cold weather because they burn energy to maintain body temperature. They eat less in hot weather because high temperatures suppress appetite and increase water intake.

Temperature	Feed Intake Change	Management Response
Below 5 degrees C	Increase 10 to 20 percent	Add energy-dense feed. Increase feeding frequency.
5 to 25 degrees C	Normal baseline	Standard feeding program
25 to 32 degrees C	Decrease 5 to 10 percent	Feed in cool mornings and evenings
Above 32 degrees C	Decrease 10 to 25 percent	Supplement with amino acids. Add electrolytes to water.

5. Free-Range and Foraging Access

Chickens that have access to pasture, grass, insects, and kitchen scraps supplement their commercial feed intake through foraging. Studies show that free-ranging hens on good pasture reduce their commercial feed intake by 15 to 30 percent while maintaining comparable egg production.

However, do not rely on foraging to replace balanced feed entirely. Layer hens need specific amino acids and calcium levels that grass and insects alone cannot reliably supply.

6. Feed Form

Feed form affects intake significantly:

Mash: Lowest density, highest waste, chickens tend to scatter and sort it. Usually cheapest.
Pellets: Higher density, less waste, better consistency of intake. Moderately priced.
Crumbles: Broken pellets, good for chicks and small birds. Similar waste profile to pellets.

Birds on pellets often achieve better feed conversion than birds on mash, because less feed is wasted.

How to Calculate Feed for Your Whole Flock

Once you know average intake per bird per day, scaling to your flock is simple:

Daily flock feed (kg) = Number of birds x Average intake per bird (grams) divided by 1,000

Example: 50 laying hens at 130 grams each:

Daily feed = 50 x 130 / 1,000 = 6.5 kg per day

Monthly feed = 6.5 x 30 = 195 kg per month

At a price of $0.50 per kg of feed, monthly feed cost = $97.50

The Poultry Feed Calculator automates this calculation and also breaks down the cost per egg or per kg of meat produced, which is the number that matters most for your profitability assessment.

Feed Waste and How to Reduce It

Feed waste is a hidden cost that can represent 5 to 15 percent of your total feed expenditure. Common sources of waste:

Overfilled feeders that allow birds to bill-out feed onto the floor
Poorly designed feeder height (feeder trough should be at the bird’s back height)
Wet feed that molds and becomes unpalatable
Feeder competition that causes dominant birds to scatter feed to prevent others from eating

Practical fixes: Use tube feeders with anti-waste lips. Fill feeders only two-thirds full. Place feeders at correct height. Provide sufficient feeder space (5 cm per bird for mash, 2.5 cm for pellets with ad libitum access).

Special Feeding Situations

Feeding During Moult

During the annual moult, hens stop laying and redirect protein toward regrowing feathers. Feed intake drops slightly. Switch to a higher-protein feed (18 to 20 percent protein) for 6 to 8 weeks to support feather regrowth and shorten the moult duration.

Feeding Broody Hens

Broody hens sitting on eggs may eat very little. Check daily that broodies are leaving the nest to eat and drink. Body condition loss during brooding is normal but should not be extreme.

Winter Feeding

In cold climates, increase energy content of winter feed by adding whole corn or grain as a scratch feed in the evening. This is digested overnight and generates warmth. Do not reduce feed quantity in winter.

Feed Storage Best Practices

Feed quality degrades quickly when exposed to moisture, heat, and pests. Poor storage leads to mold growth (which produces mycotoxins harmful to both chickens and humans) and nutrient loss.

Store feed in sealed, rodent-proof metal or hard plastic containers
Keep storage area cool, dry, and ventilated
Never store feed directly on concrete floors (moisture wicks up)
Use feed within 4 to 6 weeks of milling date for optimal nutritional value
Do not mix old and new feed batches

Frequently Asked Questions

How much feed does a laying hen eat per day?

Most laying hens eat between 110 and 150 grams of feed per day depending on breed and body size. Light breeds like Leghorns eat around 110 to 120 grams. Heavy breeds eat 140 to 160 grams.

How much feed does a broiler chicken eat per day?

Broilers increase feed intake as they grow. Day-old chicks eat around 10 to 15 grams. By the final week before slaughter (around days 35 to 42), they may consume 150 to 180 grams per day.

How do I calculate monthly feed costs for my flock?

Multiply the number of birds by average daily intake in grams, divide by 1,000 to get kg per day, multiply by 30 for the month, then multiply by your local feed price per kg.

Do chickens eat more in summer or winter?

Chickens eat less in hot summer weather because heat suppresses appetite. They eat more in cold winter conditions because they burn energy keeping warm.

Can I feed chickens kitchen scraps instead of commercial feed?

Scraps can supplement commercial feed but should never replace it entirely. Layer hens need specific protein, calcium, and vitamin levels that a scrap-only diet cannot reliably deliver.