If you’re wanting to get chicks, or are wanting to calculate the expense to raise chicks you already own, let me share my handy measurements! From hatch to laying age, I’ve got the numbers you need to calculate how much your standard size egg layer chicken chicks eat:
How Much Do Chicken Chicks Eat?
For this article, I’ve used the most specific and careful measurements I could collect. 1 level Tablespoon of commercial chick crumbles weighs 0.37 ounces. (This is different than calculating fluid ounces to Tablespoons like most online calculators do.) We will use the known ounce-weight-per-Tablespoon of chick crumbles when calculating how many Tablespoons are consumed each week. Let’s jump right in to the numbers you need in order to calculate your chick feed expenses:
Just-Hatched to 7 Day-Old Chicks Eat:
The first week of life newly-hatched chicks eat extremely little. The first 48 hours the chick has enough sustenance from the yolk that it does not need to consume any feed. If food is available, the chicks will peck it out of curiosity but not swallow much. During the third day of life the chick will begin to eat tiny amounts, slowly working from about 0.12 ounces (1 teaspoon) of feed per day around 3 days old to almost 0.4 ounces (about 1 Tablespoon) around 7 days old. It is safe to assume during the first 7 days of life a chick will eat about 1.2 ounces of feed (3.24 Tablespoons).
1 Week Old Chicks Eat:
Chicks who are 7 to 14 days old eat 0.4 to 0.55 ounces (about 1 Tablespoon to 1.48 Tablespoons) per day of commercial chick crumbles. A 7 day old chick may only consume up to 0.4 ounces (about 1 Tablespoon) but as they near day 14, their intake may be approaching 0.55 ounces (1.48 Tablespoons) per chick per day. It is safe to assume 1 weeks old chicks consume about 3.5 ounces of feed (9.45 Tablespoons).
2 Week Old Chicks Eat:
Chicks who are 14 to 21 days old eat 0.55 to 0.75 ounces (1.48 to 2 Tablespoons) per day. While this will fluctuate between day 7 (~1.48 Tbsp) and day 14 (~2 Tbsp), it is safe to assume a 2 week old chick consumes about 4.5 ounces of feed (12.16 Tablespoons).
3 Week Old Chicks Eat:
Chicks who are 21 to 28 days old eat 0.75 to 1.2 ounces (2 to 3.24 Tablespoons) per day. While this will fluctuate between day 14 (~2 Tbsp) and day 21 (~3.24 Tbsp), it is safe to assume a 3 week old chick consumes roughly 6.6 ounces of feed (17.83 Tablespoons).
4-6 Week Old Chicks Eat:
Chicks who are 4 to 6 weeks old eat 1.25 to 1.75 ounces (3.37 to 4.72 Tablespoons) per day. Their consumption seems to plateau after 28 days of life and remains within this range for a few weeks. This will fluctuate with younger chicks eating closer to 1.25 ounces (3.37 Tbsp) and older chicks eating closer to 1.75 ounces (4.72 Tbsp) some days. It is safe to assume chicks who are 4 to 6 weeks old consume roughly 10 ounces of feed (27 Tablespoons) each per week. Large breeds may be closer to 12.25 ounces (33.1 Tablespoons) consumed at 6 weeks of age.
7-8 Week Old Chicks Eat:
Chicks who are 7 to 8 weeks old eat 1.95 to 2.1 ounces (5.27 to 5.67 Tablespoons) per day. This slight increase in intake corresponds with the chick finishing feathering-out and beginning to experience increased body growth. It is safe to assume chicks who are 7 and 8 weeks old consume roughly 14 ounces of feed (37.83 Tablespoons) each per week.
9-15 Week Old Chicks Eat:
Chicks who are 9 to 15 weeks old eat 2.2 to 2.4 ounces (5.94 to 6.48 Tablespoons) per day. They have reached another plateau where their feed consumption will remain relatively stable as they experience continued body growth. It is safe to assume chicks who are 9 to 15 weeks old consume roughly 16 ounces of feed (43.24 Tablespoons) each per week.
16-20 Week Old Chicks Eat:
Chicks who are 16 to 20 weeks old eat 2.4 to 2.8 ounces (6.48 to 7.56 Tablespoons) per day. They are nearly at full adult consumption of 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) of feed per day. It is safe to assume chicks who are 16 to 20 weeks old consume roughly 18 ounces of feed (48.64 Tablespoons) each per week.
Breeders Please Note:
The above numbers are calculations of what chicks consume, NOT what they spill or waste. (We have all seen chicks attempting to dust bathe in their feed!) Rounding your decimals up as you calculate feed expenses (see below) will generally cover the estimated 10% feed waste.
Bantam Chick Feed Amounts:
Bantam chicks are smaller than standard size chicks and they do eat less. Small bantam breeds like Seabrights will eat an estimated 1/3 of what a standard size chick consumes. Silkies, silkie crosses, purebred and hybrid-cross bantams who will weigh close to 2 pounds (30+ ounces) as adults will eat about half of what a standard size chick consumes. These are not exact numbers but it can help you calculate feed expenses for these smaller birds.
Adult Laying Hens Eat:
Chicken keepers know each standard breed adult laying hen consumes about 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) of feed per day. This is roughly 2.96 ounces per hen per day if we use the chick crumble weight. Most keepers find it easiest to ensure they provide 1/2 cup of feed per hen per day but to calculate feed expense, it is safe to assume each adult hen consumes 20.72 ounces of feed per week (3.5 cups).
How to Calculate Chick Feed Costs
Here is the equation you should use to calculate the cost of your feed in ounces:
($Price for the bag of feed ÷ # of pounds in the bag) ÷ 16 ounces in a pound
So if you spent $35 on a 40 pound bag of feed, your cost is 0.875¢ per pound. You then divide 0.875¢ per pound by 16 ounces in a pound to get 0.054¢ per ounce (roughly a nickel and a half per ounce).
How Much Chicks Eat Calculation Chart
Use the following chart to calculate your feed cost based on your specific feed’s cost per ounce:
How to Calculate Weekly Feed Costs
Here is the equation to use to calculate the cost to feed one chick for each week of life:
$Per ounce feed cost x ounces consumed per chick per week = feed cost for that week
Using the above feed cost of 0.054¢ per ounce, a chick at 7 days old who has consumed 1.2 ounces of feed has a feed expense that week of .064¢. A1 week old chick who consumes 3.5 ounces has a feed expense that week of 0.189¢ plus the .064¢ from the week before for a total of 0.253¢ . A two week old chick consuming 4.5 ounces has a 0.243¢ feed expense that week plus the 0.189¢ feed expense from the week before and .064¢ from the hatch week feeding for a total of .496¢.
Breeder Business Costs
If you are running a business, calculating accurate expenses is important. Many breeders simply add a dollar to the cost of each chick for each week they feed that bird, forgetting to add in the cost of litter, water, electricity and cleaning supplies used to maintain the brooder. When those additional costs are added in, $1 per week may be the break-even price, especially once chicks pass 3 weeks of age and need more frequent litter changes.
Keep a List of Expenses!
I hope this article has made it so much easier and faster to calculate your chick’s weekly feed costs! Knowing what you are spending to raise chicks can help you plan ahead and bulk order feed in advance, which saves money in the long run.
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