How Long Does a 50 lb Bag of Chicken Feed Last?
A single laying hen eats roughly a quarter pound of feed per day, so a standard 50 lb bag feeds one hen for about 200 days. Once you have a flock, the bag empties a lot faster. Here is how long a 50 lb bag lasts by flock size, plus how to make it stretch.
How long a 50 lb bag lasts by flock size
These numbers assume about 0.25 lb of layer feed per hen per day, which is the common guideline from Mississippi State Extension. Actual intake ranges from a quarter to a third of a pound depending on bird size, weather, and how much the birds forage.
| Flock size | Feed per day | A 50 lb bag lasts |
|---|---|---|
| 3 hens | 0.75 lb | about 9.5 weeks |
| 4 hens | 1.0 lb | about 7 weeks |
| 6 hens | 1.5 lb | about 4.8 weeks |
| 8 hens | 2.0 lb | about 3.5 weeks |
| 10 hens | 2.5 lb | about 2.9 weeks |
| 12 hens | 3.0 lb | about 2.4 weeks |
For your exact flock, bag size, and feed price, the chicken feed calculator does the math and shows your monthly cost.
Why your bag might empty faster (or slower)
- Weather. Hens eat more in cold weather to stay warm, so winter bags disappear quicker.
- Foraging. Birds with real pasture or good free-range time eat less bagged feed.
- Waste. Open trough feeders can waste 20 to 30 percent of feed through spillage and scratching. A treadle or port feeder cuts that dramatically.
- Treats and scratch. Scratch grains and kitchen scraps reduce how much complete feed the birds eat, but keep treats under about 10 percent of the diet so hens still get enough protein and calcium to lay.
The quick math
Feed per day equals your hen count times 0.25 lb. Divide the bag weight by that number to get the days a bag lasts. For 6 hens: 6 times 0.25 is 1.5 lb per day, and 50 divided by 1.5 is about 33 days.
Want the monthly cost and number of bags too? Use the chicken feed calculator, or see how much it costs to keep chickens per month.