How Much Does It Cost to Feed Chickens?
Wondering how much it costs to feed chickens each month? This free chicken feed cost calculator takes your flock size, daily feed per hen, and local feed price, then estimates your total feed usage, monthly cost, and even your cost per dozen eggs — so you can see whether raising backyard chickens saves you money.
Enter your flock details
Your results
| Feed used per day | — |
|---|---|
| Feed used in period | — |
| Estimated eggs laid | — |
| Estimated cost per dozen eggs | — |
Estimates based on your inputs and standard laying-hen averages — not a substitute for professional advice.
How to use this calculator
Enter the number of hens in your flock, how much feed each hen eats per day (the 0.25 lb default is the standard estimate for an average laying hen), the price you pay per pound of feed, and the number of days in your billing period. The results update instantly. The optional lay rate (default 0.8 eggs per hen per day, another standard estimate) adds a cost-per-dozen-eggs comparison.
How it works
The math is straightforward. Daily feed = hens × feed per hen per day. Period feed = daily feed × days. Period cost = period feed × price per lb. To estimate your cost per dozen eggs, the calculator first estimates eggs laid = hens × lay rate × days, then divides the period cost by (eggs ÷ 12).
Example: 6 hens × 0.25 lb/day × 30 days = 45 lb of feed per month. At $0.50/lb that costs $22.50/month — about $3.75 per hen. With a 0.8 lay rate those 6 hens lay about 144 eggs (12 dozen) in the month, so the estimated feed cost per dozen eggs is $22.50 ÷ 12 ≈ $1.87.
Tips for accuracy: divide your feed bag's price by its weight to get a true price per pound. If your flock free-ranges or gets kitchen scraps, enter a lower feed-per-hen value. Bantams eat roughly half what a standard layer eats, while large dual-purpose breeds may eat 1.5× as much.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to feed chickens per month?
It depends on flock size, feed prices, and how much your birds forage. As a rule of thumb, one laying hen eats about 1/4 lb of feed per day. So a typical flock of 6 hens at 0.25 lb per hen per day and $0.50 per lb of feed costs about 6 x 0.25 x 30 x $0.50 = $22.50 per month. That works out to roughly $3 to $4 per hen per month, and buying larger bags usually lowers the price per pound.
How much feed does one chicken eat per day?
An average laying hen eats about 1/4 lb (4 oz) of commercial feed per day — this is a standard estimate used by most feed guides. Bantams eat less (around 2 oz), and large dual-purpose breeds can eat 5 oz or more. Feed spilled or wasted by the flock adds on top, and birds that free-range or get kitchen scraps may eat 10-30% less purchased feed during the growing season.
Is it cheaper to raise chickens than buy eggs?
Often, yes, on feed cost alone. A laying hen producing about 0.8 eggs per day (another standard estimate) lays roughly 5 to 6 dozen eggs per 30-day month for every 6 hens, which typically works out to $1.50-$3.00 of feed per dozen. That is usually below supermarket egg prices, but it does not include one-time costs like the coop, feeder, bedding, or your time.
Does free-ranging reduce feed costs?
Yes. Hens that free-range eat insects, greens, and seeds, which can cut purchased feed consumption by about 10-30% during spring and summer. The savings drop in winter when pasture is dormant. Enter a lower "feed per hen per day" value in the calculator above to model how free-ranging affects your total cost.