Feed Consumption Plan and Body Weight Target for Laying Hens

Feed consumption plan can help you estimate how much feed your birds will need at each stage (Chick, grower and laying). This will help you estimate feed cost before beforehand. The feed plan below is base on commercial brown egg layers that are reared intensively (i.e. they’re reared in an enclosed building and provided with feed and water daily. They’re not allowed to free-range). Obviously, you mustn’t follow this plan exactly as it is, you can make adjustments according to your own unique conditions.

Chick Starter: This is usually fed for the first 4-6 weeks. Switch to grower only when the body weight target have been achieved.

Grower Diet: This is usually fed from 6 weeks until 5% of the birds start laying. This can be at 20 weeks (more or less).

Layers Diet: A switch is made from grower to layers diet when 5% of the birds start laying. Layers feed is continued until the birds are sold, usually at 72-80 weeks. They may be made to lay a second time by force molting.

Note:

The actual amount of feed consumed depends on the energy content of the feed. The higher the energy content the lesser the feed consumed and vice versa. The tables below are base on feed with high energy content and you can’t easily find such feed in Nigeria. Because of this, you will feed your birds slightly more than what the tables indicate.

Below is a feed plan and body weight target for Isa & Shaver Brown (Common in Nigeria) from day old to 90 weeks of age. Source: Isa Brown Management Guide

Feed consumption and body weight chart for Isa brown

Below is a feed plan and body weight target for laying hens (Hyline brown breed) from day old to 80 weeks of age.

feed consumption plan and body weight target for brown egg layer

Feed Consumption Plan for Brown Egg Layer (18-80 weeks)

Image Source:  (Hy-line Brown Commercial Management Guide, 2011)P. 19

Works Cited

1. Download 2009_Hy-Line_Brown.pdf. PoultryHub.org. [Online] March 2011. http://www.poultryhub.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2009_Hy-Line_Brown.pdf.