How Much to Feed Chickens

The amount of food that chickens eat will vary depending on their age, health, and appetite. Additionally, you can feed chickens a differing amount of food depending on what you’ll be using them for. So how much to feed chickens so they are healthy and strong?

It is recommended that chicken feed should be roughly 1/2 of a cup per chicken. A typical adult chicken eats about 1.75 pounds of feed in a week, which equals 3.5-4 ounces daily (about 1/4 pound).

In this article, we will discuss how much to feed adult chickens and chicks and how often they need to eat daily. Additionally, we will discuss what chicken feed is, how much it costs, and some high-quality options for chicken feed.

How Much to Feed Chickens Per Day

how much to feed chickens per day largely depends, but, generally, two to three ounces of food per bird every day is enough for egg-laying chickens. More than five to six ounces are required daily if the chickens are for meat or egg production purposes.

To provide your chickens with fresh water, you can use one medium-sized waterer or more. An excellent alternative for small coops is the automatic waterer.

How Much Do Baby Chicks Eat

Chickens younger than eight weeks old eat 3/4 lbs of feed a week and drink three times as much water. Once the chickens age eight weeks or more, their feeding and drinking changes with their production increase.

How much do baby chicks eat will depend on how young they are, are they hatchlings or chicks? As a starting rule, you want to be giving baby chicks up to 8 weeks old 3/4 lbs of feed a week. baby chicks drink more water on hot days and less on cold days but give them an extra supply of water that is not enough when it’s hard to tell.

I wrote an in-depth article on how many times a day should I feed my chickens, which talks about chicks and how much they should eat too. Give it a read, some great information in there.

How Many Times a Day Should I Feed My Chickens

How much to feed chickens and how many times a day to feed them are two questions you need to be asking when raising chickens. Chickens require supplemental feeding in the form of commercial chicken feed, treats, or other additives. Different chicken keepers have different goals, and their methods of feeding chickens reflect this.

Twice a day feedings will increase the number of eggs laid each day, with larger-sized egg sizes! If you’re only looking to feed chickens for a few eggs, once-daily feedings will do.

How Much Is Chicken Feed?

Chickens usually eat commercial feed made of grains like corn, soybean, and wheat such as Manna Pro Layer Pellets for Laying Hens (Amazon link), this retails for a little less than $60 for 30lbs of feed. They also need a source of additional vitamins and minerals. Chicken feed usually contains at least 16 percent protein, though this changes according to the type of chicken.

• Manna Pro 7-Grain Ultimate Scratch food is naturally made with no artificial colors or flavors.
• It contains a nutritious blend of seven grains: corn, wheat, milo, barley, oats (corn), sunflower seeds, and millet.
• Manna Pro 7-Grain Ultimate Scratch is ideal for chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or game birds.

In general, a chicken feed can cost around $0.20 per pound, with the most expensive feed being organic and non-GMO. The average cost of chicken feed is about $240 a year for each bird.

People who own backyard chickens tend to spend less on their birds than those living in small flocks because they provide their food source instead of buying it from a local feed store.

This is not to say that you will need as much chicken feed if your chickens are free-range or backyard birds only. The total amount of feed you need to buy will be reduced if they have access to:

• Grasses
• Weeds
• Other food sources in addition to their regular diet

When figuring out how much chicken feed costs, it’s important to remember that different types and brands can vary significantly in price. This goes for both organic or non-organic and the type of meal used, such as corn vs. soybean meal.

The best way to save money on feeding chickens is by choosing the right type of feed in the first place. In addition, you’ll be less likely to waste any food if you use a coop instead of allowing free-range access. By using a closed coop, you’ll be able to provide a safe place for your chickens to eat.

High-Quality Chicken Feed for My Chickens

Organic feed is the best choice for all poultry as it contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids essential to your bird’s health – just like they would get if they pecked around in a natural environment. Chickens can be fed organic feed either by purchasing organic chicken feed or making their own.

Some of the most high-quality chicken feed is commercially made. These organic feeds often contain high-quality grains, like:

• Soybean
• Cornmeal
• Kelp
• Alfalfa.

By making your own feed, you can control the ingredients that go into it, which is essential if you are concerned with how specific components may affect your chicken’s health – for example, by avoiding GMOs or unnecessary antibiotics.

You can make your own feed by using whole grains. Some of the best chicken feeds contain:

• Cornmeal
• Wheat berries
• Barley – all great options for a healthy diet.

Feeding chickens with whole grains also helps keep their digestive tract working smoothly because it is more difficult to digest than processed foods are.

You can also add vegetables to their diet if you are raising chickens organically. There is nothing wrong with giving them a little treat every once in a while! Vegetables like squash, carrots, or potatoes make great treats because they contain many nutrients and lower calories than many other foods.

Conclusion

There are many factors to consider when deciding the type of feeder that is best for your chickens. It’s important to think about whether or not there is enough room to eat without causing bickering and predator damage, how much space they have in general, and how big their appetite is.

It is recommended that chicken feed should be roughly 1/2 cup per bird. A typical adult bird eats about 3-4 ounces daily (about a pound).

You also need to determine if you’re going with dry food or a wet food diet (as this will affect what size feeders you purchase). A simple way to measure the amount of chicken feed needed per day would be around 1/2 cup per chicken, but it can vary depending on age.