Chicken feed

[Zobot0110]

How long could I expect a 50 pound bag of chicken feed to last if I have eight chickens.

 

[nuthatched]

Depends a bit on the feed, but on average a chicken eats 4oz a day.
4oz x 8 = 32oz a day (2lbs)
50lbs ÷ 2lbs = 25 days

 

[ArElJay]

Lots of variables! Varies immensely by breed and age, free-range or not. My 6 leghorns eat around 20 lbs every 2 weeks, my 10 Jersey Giants eat that in 3 - 4 days. Bottom line is food dish empty, time to refill!

 

[TooCheep]

Understand that any number is still only an approximation. From your picture above, it looks like your chickens can free range. That allows them to eat plants/bugs/etc. while roaming around which will have an impact on how much packaged feed they eat. That can also vary by season, size/breed of the birds, etc.

 

[Zobot0110]

Thank you. I am new to this

 

[TooCheep]

Thank you. I am new to this

No problem. Questions are always welcome.
BYC is one of the most newbie-friendly sites I've ever been a part of.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As offered above, 100g / 0.25# is a good approximation for an adult layer hen as a starting point.

Actual feed consumption will vary with age, gender, whether or not they are laying, how often (and how large) the egg they lay, the seasonally variable feed value of the place in which they range, season, and the feed itself.

Larger birds tend to eat more. Birds which lay constantly and routinely produce large or extra large eggs eat most. Birds that rarely produce mostly small eggs eat less. Roosters eat less (they don't need to pop out a 45-70g+ egg many times a week). Molting birds who have stopped laying generally eat less (replacing feathers isn't quite as rough as rapid egg production) than a production layer at peak lay, but maybe more than an infrequent layer of small eggs. Free rangers eat more - the extra activity - often offset by whatever they eat as they are ranging. Cx (and related) are genetically predisposed to be eating machines.

and feeds vary from low nutrition low calorie "maintenance" feeds (birds will eat more) to high nutritional density high calorie feeds (birds will typically eat less).

Best thing you can do is start with the approximation, then adjust based on your experience wiuth your flock. If you feed ad libitum (that is, feed available at all times) you need only ensure the feeder is full and fresh. If you control their feeding, you need to learn to body condition score, read their feeding behaviors, and/or take more drastic measures to monitor your flock's feed intake.