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Feed and egg cost calculator

Feed is the biggest running cost of a laying flock. Enter what you pay for a bag and how many eggs you collect, and the calculator works out the rest with a published daily intake you can change.

A pulp carton filled with brown eggs
Photo: PHOTO/arts Magazine, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Extension figures: about ¼ lb a day per laying hen (Alabama), ¼–⅓ lb (Mississippi State), roughly 3 lb a week for a 6-lb hen (UMN). Intake may rise up to 25% in cold weather (UMN).
From your receipt or the listing today. We do not show prices.
Count a typical week. Laying drops in molt and short days.
Season
Feed cost per dozen eggs—
Feed per day—
A bag lasts—
Feed per month—
Monthly cost—

birds × lb per day × 30.4 days

Intake: Alabama Cooperative Extension, Nutrition for backyard chicken flocks (ANR-1317); Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and nutrition; University of Minnesota Extension, Raising chickens for eggs; University of Minnesota Extension, Caring for chickens in cold weather. Prices are only the ones you type; nothing is stored or sent.

How much do chickens eat?

Extension services put a laying hen at about a quarter pound of complete feed a day. Mississippi State gives ¼–⅓ lb depending on weather, body size and laying; UMN says a 6-lb hen eats roughly 3 lb a week, and that intake can rise up to 25% in cold weather. Free-range birds and wasted feed change the real figure, so weigh a bag’s life once and adjust.

0.25 lbFeed per laying hen per dayAlabama Extension, ANR-1317
25%Possible extra intake in cold weatherUMN Extension

What the cost per dozen leaves out

The main figure is feed only. Add bedding, grit, oyster shell and treats in “other costs” for a fuller monthly number. Coops, chicks and equipment are one-time costs and are not spread over the eggs here.

Questions

How long does a 50 lb bag of feed last?
At ¼ lb per hen per day, six hens eat 1.5 lb a day, so a 50 lb bag lasts about 33 days. Waste and cold weather shorten that.
Why does the calculator show no prices?
Feed prices change by region and week. You type what you pay; nothing is stored or sent.
Do treats count?
Add them under other costs. Extension guides suggest keeping treats and scratch a small part of the diet so hens get a balanced layer feed.
How many eggs does a hen lay per week?
It varies with breed, age, daylight and molt. Count your own flock’s typical week for the most useful result.

Sources

  1. Alabama Cooperative Extension, Nutrition for backyard chicken flocks (ANR-1317)
  2. Mississippi State University Extension, Feeds and nutrition
  3. University of Minnesota Extension, Raising chickens for eggs
  4. University of Minnesota Extension, Caring for chickens in cold weather