A poultry feed calculator for broilers and layers
Feed is the biggest running cost of raising chickens, so knowing how much you need — and how well your birds turn it into meat or eggs — is the heart of poultry farming. This poultry feed calculator does three jobs. It plans the feed for a broiler flock week by week up to selling age, it works out your flock’s feed conversion ratio (FCR) and production efficiency (EPEF) from your own records, and it estimates feed for laying hens, including feed per dozen eggs.
The broiler plan uses the published Ross 308 performance objectives — a widely used modern broiler standard — and lets you allow for mortality and for birds that eat more or less than the standard. Results show kilograms and 50 kg bags, with optional prices in rupees, dollars or pounds.
How to use the poultry feed calculator
- Pick Broiler feed plan, FCR & EPEF or Layer feed.
- For a feed plan, enter chicks placed, selling age (up to 56 days), expected mortality and, if your birds eat differently from the standard, the intake percentage.
- For FCR, enter chicks placed, birds sold, total live weight, total feed used and age; add chick weight to see FCR on weight gain.
- For layers, enter hens, grams of feed per hen per day, days, laying rate and egg weight.
- Open Bag size, price and currency to change the bag or add the feed price, then copy the result.
Poultry Feed & FCR Calculator features
Week-by-week broiler feed
Feed per bird and for the whole flock each week, with bags, from the Ross 308 cumulative intake table.
Mortality and intake adjustments
Spreads mortality evenly over the grow-out and scales intake for local conditions.
FCR, livability and EPEF
Feed ÷ live weight, FCR on weight gain, and the European production efficiency factor, compared with the standard for the same age.
Layer feed
Daily and total feed, eggs, feed per dozen and feed per kg of egg mass.
Costs in ₹, $ or £
Feed cost per flock, per bird, per kg live weight or per dozen eggs.
How much feed does a broiler eat?
Figures are the Ross 308 as-hatched (mixed-sex) performance objectives published by Aviagen in 2022, per living bird; FCR here is cumulative feed ÷ body weight. So 1,000 broilers sold at 35 days need about 3.2 tonnes of feed — 64 bags of 50 kg — before allowing for mortality. Other strains, hot weather and village conditions can differ a lot; adjust the intake percentage to match your past flocks.
| Age (days) | Body weight (g) | Feed eaten so far (g) | FCR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 213 | 166 | 0.780 |
| 14 | 533 | 535 | 1.004 |
| 21 | 1,012 | 1,155 | 1.141 |
| 28 | 1,616 | 2,051 | 1.269 |
| 35 | 2,296 | 3,211 | 1.399 |
| 42 | 2,998 | 4,586 | 1.530 |
FCR and EPEF formulas
Feed conversion ratio = total feed used ÷ total live weight produced. A flock that ate 3,350 kg of feed and weighed 2,200 kg at sale has an FCR of 1.52 — it took 1.52 kg of feed for every kg of chicken. Lower is better.
FCR on gain subtracts the weight of the chicks when they arrived (44 g in the Ross table) from the live weight.
EPEF = livability (%) × average live weight (kg) ÷ (age in days × FCR) × 100. It rewards fast growth, good survival and good conversion at the same time. With 960 of 1,000 birds sold at 2.29 kg after 35 days and an FCR of 1.52, EPEF = 96 × 2.29 ÷ (35 × 1.52) × 100 ≈ 413. Higher is better; one European survey of 358 broiler farms reported an average of about 338.
Feeding laying hens
- Most hens in production eat about 100–120 g of layer mash a day; intake rises in cold weather and with age.
- Feed per dozen eggs = total feed ÷ (eggs ÷ 12). At 110 g a day and 85% production, that is about 1.55 kg per dozen.
- Feed per kg of egg (egg-mass FCR) is a fair way to compare flocks or feeds; a rising figure points to feed wastage, poor laying or ageing hens.
- For dairy animals use the cattle feed calculator; for hay for cattle, horses, sheep and goats use the hay calculator.
Poultry Feed & FCR Calculator FAQ
How much feed does a broiler need up to 35 days?
About 3.2 kg per bird under the Ross 308 standard (3,211 g), giving a 2.3 kg bird. So 1,000 broilers need about 3,200 kg, or 64 bags of 50 kg.
How do you calculate FCR in poultry?
Divide the total feed used (kg) by the total live weight sold (kg). 3,350 kg of feed for 2,200 kg of birds gives an FCR of 1.52.
What is a good FCR for broilers?
It depends on age and weight: the Ross 308 standard is about 1.40 at 35 days and 1.53 at 42 days. Compare your FCR with the standard for the same age, which the calculator shows.
What is EPEF and what is a good score?
The European production efficiency factor combines livability, weight, age and FCR into one number; higher is better. Compare flocks of a similar age — one European survey of 358 broiler farms averaged about 338.
How much feed does a laying hen eat per day?
About 100–120 g of layer feed in production, so 1,000 hens eat roughly 110 kg a day or 3.3 tonnes a month.
Can I use this as a feed conversion ratio calculator for other animals?
The FCR formula (feed ÷ weight gained) is the same for pigs, fish or cattle, but the standards and EPEF in this tool are for broiler chickens.