Chicken Feed Calculator: Calculate Feed Requirements from Day-Old Chick to 12 Weeks

Feed is the largest single cost in meat chicken production, typically accounting for 65–70% of the total cost of production. Knowing how much feed a batch of broilers will consume before you start allows you to budget accurately, order in advance, and avoid running out at a critical growth stage. The Chicken Feed Calculator provides week-by-week and total feed requirements for a batch of any size.

The calculator models feed consumption from day-old through to 12 weeks across three diet phases: chick crumb (weeks 1–3), grower pellets (weeks 4–6), and finisher pellets (weeks 7–12). Daily feed intake increases with the growth curve of the bird, producing a realistic cumulative total rather than a flat-rate estimate.

Outputs include a week-by-week feed consumption table, total feed per bird, and total feed for the whole batch. Feed cost per bird and per kilogram of liveweight gain are also shown if a feed price per kilogram is entered.

Feed intake figures are based on the Ross 308 broiler performance objectives (Aviagen, 2022) and Cobb 500 broiler management guide, representing the two most widely used commercial broiler breeds. Feed conversion ratios at each growth stage reflect standard commercial production conditions. Smallholder and free-range birds on slower-growing breeds will have different feed intake profiles.

Enter the number of chicks in your batch and an optional feed price per kilogram. The weekly feed table and batch totals will appear immediately. Use the totals to calculate how many bags of each feed type you need before your birds arrive. The week-by-week breakdown is useful for monitoring whether your actual feed consumption matches expectations — significant deviations may indicate a health issue or feed wastage.