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 8-9 weeks. Switch to grower only when the body weight target have been achieved (i.e. about 720g from the chart below).

Grower Diet: This is usually fed from 8-9 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.

Note: Birds feed to satisfy their energy requirement. This means that if a feed energy content is high, birds will eat less of it and be satisfied. Energy content of feed is given as metabolisable energy (ME) in kilo calorie per kg (Kcal/kg) or Mega joules per kg (MJ/kg). Check the label of the feed bag and you will see it.

The feed consumption chart below is based on a ME of 2900 kcal/kg or 12.14 MJ/kg. So if the feed you give your birds has lesser value than that, you will need to feed more or if it is greater, you feed less.

Layers Feed Consumption and Body Weight Chart (Hyline Brown Breed. Feed metabolisable energy = 2900 kcal/kg or 12.14 MJ/kg)
Age in Weeks Feed Consumption in grams Body Weight in grams
Floor Rearing Cage Rearing Floor Rearing Cage Rearing
g/day gram cummulative g/day g cummulative
1 13 91 10 70 70 70
2 19 224 18 196 120 120
3 24 392 21 343 190 200
4 29 595 27 532 280 280
5 34 833 30 742 380 390
6 37 1092 36 994 480 500
7 42 1386 40 1274 580 620
8 48 1722 43 1575 680 750
9 55 2107 49 1918 770 860
10 61 2534 54 2296 870 970
11 65 2989 58 2702 960 1080
12 70 3479 62 3136 1050 1170
13 73 3990 65 3591 1130 1250
14 77 4529 68 4067 1210 1310
15 78 5075 70 4557 1290 1370
16 80 5635 75 5082 1360 1430
17 81 6202 77 5621 1430 1490

 

Layers Feed Consumption and Body Weight Chart (Hyline Brown Breed. Feed metabolisable energy = 2900 kcal/kg or 12.14 MJ/kg)
Age in weeks Body Weight in Kg Feed Consumption (g/day/bird) n Age in Weeks Body Weight in Kg Feed Consumption (g/day/bird)
18 1.54 78 50 1.95 110
19 1.6 80 51 1.95 110
20 1.65 89 52 1.95 110
21 1.72 93 53 1.95 110
22 1.78 96 54 1.95 110
23 1.8 100 55 1.96 110
24 1.84 103 56 1.96 110
25 1.85 104 57 1.96 110
26 1.86 105 58 1.96 110
27 1.88 106 59 1.96 110
28 1.89 108 60 1.96 110
29 1.9 108 61 1.96 110
30 1.9 108 62 1.96 110
31 1.9 109 63 1.96 110
32 1.91 109 64 1.96 110
33 1.91 110 65 1.96 110
34 1.91 110 66 1.96 109
35 1.91 110 67 1.96 109
36 1.92 110 68 1.96 109
37 1.92 110 69 1.96 109
38 1.92 110 70 1.97 109
39 1.93 110 71 1.97 109
40 1.93 110 72 1.97 109
41 1.93 110 73 1.97 109
42 1.94 110 74 1.97 109
43 1.94 110 75 1.97 109
44 1.94 110 76 1.97 109
45 1.95 110 77 1.97 109
46 1.95 110 78 1.97 109
47 1.95 110 79 1.97 109
48 1.95 110 80 1.97 109
49 1.95 110

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

Feed consumption and body weight chart for Isa brown

Feed consumption and body weight chart for Isa brown

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Download Feed Formulae for Various Animals (Including Poultry)

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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.
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