Bags to buy
2bags
- 7534lb in allkg in all
- 2.51.1lb a daykg a day
- 0.62.4gal water a dayL water a day
- 10 hens eat about 2.5 lb of feed a day. That is a quarter pound each.
- For 30 days, that is 75 lb, or 2 bags of 50 lb.
- A 50 lb bag lasts about 20 days.
- They drink about 0.6 gallons of water a day: a quart for each pound of feed. More when it is hot.
Feed by age, from Kentucky
| Week | Weight | Feed so far |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.33 lb0.15 kg | 0.29 lb0.13 kg |
| 2 | 0.79 lb0.36 kg | 0.91 lb0.41 kg |
| 3 | 1.44 lb0.65 kg | 1.94 lb0.88 kg |
| 4 | 2.26 lb1.03 kg | 3.42 lb1.55 kg |
| 5 | 3.22 lb1.46 kg | 5.30 lb2.40 kg |
| 6 | 4.22 lb1.91 kg | 7.66 lb3.47 kg |
| 7 | 5.21 lb2.36 kg | 10.26 lb4.65 kg |
| 8 | 6.15 lb2.79 kg | 13.12 lb5.95 kg |
| 9 | 7.05 lb3.20 kg | 16.23 lb7.36 kg |
| Week | White-egg | Brown-egg |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.22 lb0.10 kg | 0.30 lb0.14 kg |
| 2 | 0.84 lb0.38 kg | 1.00 lb0.45 kg |
| 4 | 1.98 lb0.90 kg | 2.24 lb1.02 kg |
| 6 | 3.48 lb1.58 kg | 3.78 lb1.71 kg |
| 8 | 5.06 lb2.30 kg | 5.46 lb2.48 kg |
| 10 | 6.74 lb3.06 kg | 7.22 lb3.27 kg |
| 12 | 8.50 lb3.86 kg | 9.08 lb4.12 kg |
| 14 | 10.36 lb4.70 kg | 11.06 lb5.02 kg |
| 16 | 12.26 lb5.56 kg | 13.14 lb5.96 kg |
| 18 | 14.24 lb6.46 kg | 15.34 lb6.96 kg |
| 20 | 16.44 lb7.46 kg | 17.76 lb8.06 kg |
From Kentucky Extension ASC-191. Meat chickens: the average of males and females, fast-growing birds. Slower-growing kinds take about 11 weeks to reach 5 lb.
Bags a month for 25 hens
- White-egg layers: 3 to 3½ bags of 50 lb.
- Brown-egg layers: 3 to 4 bags.
- Dual-purpose hens: 4 to 4½ bags.
From Kentucky Extension. Heavier hens eat more. Hens eat less when it is over 68 °F.
Questions
How much does a chicken eat a day?
A laying hen eats about a quarter pound of feed a day, says Kentucky Extension. Alabama Extension says 100 to 150 grams.
How long does a 50 lb bag of feed last?
10 hens eat about 2.5 lb a day. So a 50 lb bag lasts them about 20 days, says Alabama Extension.
How much feed to raise a meat chicken?
A fast-growing meat chicken eats about 10 lb of feed to reach 5 lb, in about 7 weeks. Fifty of them need 10 to 11 bags, says Kentucky Extension.
How much feed to raise a pullet to laying age?
About 14 lb for a white-egg pullet to 18 weeks, and about 18 lb for a brown-egg pullet to 20 weeks. Pullets start to lay at 18 to 22 weeks.
How much water do chickens drink?
About twice their feed by weight: a quart of water for each pound of feed. They drink more when it is over 77 °F.
Sources
- University of Kentucky Extension ASC-191, How Much Will My Chickens Eat?Dec 2012Feed for hens, meat chickens and pullets by age; bags per flock; water
- Alabama Extension ANR-2913, Feeding the Laying HenAug 2022A hen eats about 0.25 lb a day; 10 hens finish a 50 lb bag in about 20 days
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, Life Cycle of a Laying HenundatedPullets start to lay at 18 to 22 weeks