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Poultry Feed Calculator

Estimate how much feed you need to raise your flock from hatch through a target age. Select your bird type, breed, and flock size to get started.

What are you raising?

Meat Birds are raised from hatch to processing weight. Commercial/hybrid broilers (like Cornish Cross chickens) reach market weight in 6–9 weeks, while heritage breeds require 16–24 weeks due to slower growth rates.

Laying Birds are raised from hatch through their egg-laying life. After reaching laying age, their weekly feed consumption stays constant.

Species
Breed Type

Heritage breeds are traditional, slower-growing varieties that have been raised for generations. They have higher feed conversion ratios but are valued for flavor and hardiness.

Commercial / Hybrid breeds are selectively bred for rapid growth and efficient feed conversion. They reach market weight faster but require careful management.

Select your bird type and enter flock details to see feed estimates.

Life Stage Feeding Guide

Poultry require different feed formulations as they grow. Each life stage has a specific protein level to support healthy development. Here's a general guide by species.

Chickens

Meat Birds

  • Starter (weeks 1–3 commercial, 1–4 heritage): 22% protein
  • Grower (weeks 4–6 commercial, 5–12 heritage): 18–20% protein
  • Finisher (weeks 7–9 commercial, 13–24 heritage): 16–18% protein

Laying Birds

  • Starter (weeks 1–6 commercial, 1–8 heritage): 20% protein
  • Grower (weeks 7–19 commercial, 9–23 heritage): 16% protein
  • Layer (week 20+ commercial, 24+ heritage): 16–18% protein

Ducks

Meat Birds

  • Starter (weeks 1–2 commercial, 1–3 heritage): 22% protein
  • Grower (weeks 3–9 commercial, 4–12 heritage): 16% protein

Laying Birds

  • Starter (weeks 1–2 commercial, 1–3 heritage): 22% protein
  • Grower (weeks 3–19 commercial, 4–23 heritage): 16% protein
  • Layer (week 20+ commercial, 24+ heritage): 16–18% protein

Turkeys

Meat Birds

  • Starter (weeks 1–4): 28% protein
  • Grower (weeks 5–12 commercial, 5–16 heritage): 20–22% protein
  • Finisher (weeks 13–20 commercial, 17–28 heritage): 16% protein

Why do protein levels change?

Young birds need higher protein to support rapid feather and muscle growth. As they mature, their growth rate slows and excess protein becomes unnecessary and costly. Laying birds transition to a layer ration formulated to support egg production, with added calcium for strong shells. The layer feed rate stays constant for the remainder of the bird's productive life.

Fresh, Organic Feed from Wild Haven

Wild Haven Farm is a certified organic handler. We resell fresh, custom-ground organic feed from Fresh Starts Farm in Mora, NM, grown by Rye Carlson.

We keep our inventory small so your feed is always fresh. Whether you're raising meat birds or layers, we can help you get the right feed for every life stage.

Contact us to order feed

Data Sources

Source Organization Link
Nutrient Requirements of Poultry, 9th Rev. Ed. (1994) National Research Council / National Academies Press View source
G8352: Nutrient Requirements of Chickens and Turkeys University of Missouri Extension View source
Feeding Ducks Intended for Consumption Extension.org / University of Kentucky View source
Feeding Ducks for Egg Production in Small Flocks Extension.org / University of Kentucky View source
Small-Flock Turkey Production Penn State Extension View source
Feeding the Laying Hen Alabama Cooperative Extension System View source
Nutrient Requirements of Organic Growing Turkeys eOrganic / University of Kentucky View source

Feed consumption varies based on environmental conditions, feed quality, management practices, and individual bird variation. Values shown are estimates based on published averages from the sources listed above.