Feed by flock size
How long does a 50 lb bag last for 12 chickens?
About 17 days. 12 standard hens eat a quarter pound each, 3.0 lb a day, so a 50 lb bag is gone in 17 days and the flock goes through 1.8 bags a month.
The numbers
| Per day | 3.00 lb · 1361 g |
|---|---|
| Per week | 21.0 lb · 9.5 kg |
| Per month | 91 lb · 41.4 kg |
| A 50 lb bag lasts | 17 days |
| Bags per month | 1.8 |
| Bags per year | 22 |
What it costs per month
| Bag price | $18 | $22 | $26 | $30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 chickens, per month | $33 | $40 | $47 | $55 |
Per hen that is $3.35 a month at $22 a bag. The feed calculator takes your own bag size, price, and kilos if you buy that way.
What changes the number
- Winter: up to a third more. The same bag lasts 13 days in a cold month.
- Waste: an open or ground-level feeder loses 10 to 20 percent. A treadle feeder pays for itself in a few bags.
- Breed: bantams need about half, so a bag lasts 34 days; heavy breeds a third more, so 13 days.
- Pasture: good forage in season trims 10 to 20 percent. Bare dirt trims nothing.
Spills and rodents usually take 10 to 20 percent of a bag. A treadle feeder is the most direct way to cut that cost.
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The app logs each bag you buy and shows what the month’s eggs cost per dozen. Related: how much a chicken eats per day and what it costs to raise chickens.
Common questions
How much do 12 chickens eat per day?
About 3.00 lb (1361 g) of layer feed a day for standard breeds, a quarter pound each. Bantams eat about half; heavy breeds a third more.
How many bags of feed do 12 chickens need per month?
1.8 bags of 50 lb a month, or 22 a year. Buy a size you finish within two months so it doesn't go stale.
Why is my bag running out faster?
Waste, almost always. An open feeder loses 10 to 20 percent of a bag to scratching, wild birds and rodents. Cold weather adds up to a third. A treadle feeder fixes the first; nothing fixes January.
Does free-ranging make the bag last longer?
A little, in a good season: 10 to 20 percent less bagged feed on real pasture. On bare dirt, nothing. Layer feed is still the whole diet; forage is dessert.