How Much Feed From chick to POL?

[bigredfeather]

Has anyone ever tracked how much total feed it takes to go from a day old chick to when they reach laying age?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yes, but this in large measure breed dependent. A light weight, quick maturing layer strain, such as a red sex link, matures in as few as 18 weeks, while a larger framed, so called dual purpose breed can take as many as 28 weeks to begin laying.


30 lbs on the barest minimum to 45 lbs on the upper end of the scale. These are rough, but might help in your planning purposes.

 

[bigredfeather]

I understand it differs by breed. Your answer is just what I was looking for. thanks a bunch!

 

[RonC]

Fred's info sounds correct. I would recomend to switch them to a pellet feed as soon as they are large enough. Reason being they waste a lot of their feed. Mine were on crumbles and the ground under the feeder would be covered. Once I switched to pellets the ground under the feeder is bare. My thinking is they can differentiate the pellets from the dirt but not the crumbles. Takes less if they eat it instead of walking on it.