What to feed chickens to make them lay eggs
- how much feed should a chicken eat
- how much feed should a chicken eat per day
- how much feed should a chicken eat a day
- how much feed does a chicken eat per day
What to feed chickens naturally
How to feed chickens without buying feed.
How much feed a chicken eats each week varies with the chicken’s age, breed, and strain, degree of activity, and condition of health. Other factors include the ration’s palatability and texture, and its energy and protein content.
In cold weather, a chicken stays warm by eating more than it does during the heat of summer.
Free range chickens may seem to eat less if they are able to forage for part of their nutritional needs. Wasted feed, or a feeder offering access to rodents and birds, may give the appearance that chickens are eating more than their fair share.
So the answer to “How much feed does a chicken eat?” is essentially an estimated average.
To estimate how much feed a flock of mature chickens will eat in a week, multiply the following averages by the number of birds in the flock.
- A bantam chicken eats about ½ pound of feed per week.
- A light chicken breed eats 1½ to 2 pounds of feed per week.
- A heritage breed (dual purpose) eats 2½ to 3 pounds of feed per week.
- A heavy breed chicken eats 3½ to 4 pounds of feed per week.