Feed amount, planning feed runs

[HomesteadNowhere]

I'm seeing lots of posts on feed use for meat birds, because of feed to gain ratio. I'm trying to decide how much feed I need to buy. I haven't had chickens in ages and never this many before.

I'm getting 25 freedom rangers, 25 brown egg layers, 25 all heavy roos. The FR will eat heavily like meat birds are meant to. But I'm not sure how to estimate the feed usage of the other 50 "regular chickens". I buy feed to last me a while before making another trip. I don't go to town all the time and if I can find how much I'll be feeding the flock, what ends up the flock total, then I can plan if I'll be able to buy half ton at a time from the feed mill or not.

One source had a chart but didn't specify if this was layers or what. I'd love to know if these numbers are accurate or close enough to estimate for the future.
Feed per bird, per day in grams.
Wk 1.. 12-15g
Wk 2.. 15-21g
Wk 3.. 21-35
Wk 4-6.. 35-50g
Wk 7-8.. 55-60g
Wk 16-27.. 68-80g

I'm thinking I need to get 2 bags of chick starter. And if it's too much I'll just mix it with the grower feed for longer time. And hopefully by then I'll have a more set number, have any losses pretty much over.

I added it up and if I use that charts numbers... time 75 chicks... I'll pretty much be right on with two bags of starter for the first month.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Using the above numbers I mathed out some estimates. If nothing else hopefully I can keep track of the actual feed usage and see how close it was and have numbers to use for in the future.

Day 1-6wks old, starter: 250#, 5 bags
7-18wks old, grower: 750#, 15 bags
After 18 wks old start transitioning over to layer feed. The estimate was like 735# so that would give plenty extra to transition with, if this is accurate at all. Rounding up all numbers to be on the safe side.

This is also assuming I feed the meat birds and the hens/roos all the same. So I know any extra fattening feed for the FR to be butchered isn't accounted for here. I just like to know what I'm looking at for future feed expenses. And planning how much feed storage and how often feed runs will need to be made.

 

[Percheron chick]

If you have a way of dealing with bulk feed, go for it. Not even counting the cost savings, just the elimination of all the empty feed bags is worth it in my book. I estimate 10#/chick to 10 weeks. A little heavy for pullets but adding the meat birds will probably be spot on. I would go ahead and order a 1000# tote and use it up mixing the last bit in with the grower or just feeding it to the pullets.

 

[Folly's place]

As I remember, it's easiest to figure in 'pounds of feed for each pound of gain'. The very most efficient breeds, in commercial, climate controlled environments, some breeds use as little as 2.2 pounds of feed per pound of body weight.
It's more realistic to figure three pounds of feed per pound body weight. So, figure mature weight of your egg layers, and processing weights for your meat birds, and multiply it out.
Roughly, 75 x 8 x 3= 1800 pounds of feed. However, it's best to use feed within maybe two months of it's mill date. This works out to more like under 1000 pounds of feed used in that amount of time, or less than half of the 1800 pounds total. The slower growing meaties will take closer to twelve weeks to be big, and the layers are also dependent on which you have ordered.
It's all in the 'rough guess' category, but it's good to plan.
Mary