Whether you are raising a small backyard flock of chickens or managing a multi-animal homestead with horses and cows, feed is almost certainly your largest recurring expense. Prices fluctuate, and it is easy to lose track of exactly how much you are spending per animal. Without a clear budget, the “joy of the farm” can quickly turn into a financial burden.
Use our Feed Cost Calculator to determine your daily and monthly expenditures. This tool helps you plan your livestock expansion, compare different feed brands, and know exactly how many bags to buy during your next trip to the feed store.
Animal Feed Cost Estimator
How to Use the Feed Cost Calculator
- Animal Species: Select the animal you are feeding. We have pre-loaded average consumption rates (e.g., 20 lbs for a horse, 0.25 lbs for a chicken).
- Animal Count: The total number of animals in that specific group.
- Cost & Weight: Enter the price of a single bag and its weight (standard bags are usually 40 or 50 lbs).
- Results: View your monthly budget and see exactly how many bags you need to stock up for 30 days.
Why We Built This: The “Secret Sauce” of Homestead Budgeting
The “Secret Sauce” of our tool is the Inventory Management Logic. Most calculators only show the dollar amount. Our estimator translates those dollars into physical bags.
This is crucial for homesteaders who live far from the city and need to know exactly how much storage space (and truck capacity) they need for a month’s supply of grain or pellets.
Educational Guide: Managing Livestock Feed Costs
Livestock nutrition is a balance between forage (pasture/hay) and concentrates (grain/pellets). While our calculator focuses on bag feed, understanding the total intake is key to animal health.
Hay vs. Grain Requirements
For larger livestock like horses and cows, 70-90% of their diet should be high-quality forage. Grain is generally used as a supplement for extra calories, minerals, or for lactating animals. When calculating costs, remember that a 1,000 lb horse typically eats about 2% of its body weight in forage daily. If your pasture is poor, your “Bag Cost” for supplemental grain will rise significantly.
Bulk Buying and Storage
One of the best ways to reduce your monthly feed cost is buying in bulk. Often, feed stores offer a discount if you buy a “ton” (40 bags). Before doing this, ensure you have airtight, rodent-proof storage. Spoiled or contaminated feed is a major health risk for livestock and can negate any savings you made by buying in bulk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does it cost to feed a chicken per month?
A: On average, a laying hen eats about 7-8 lbs of feed per month. At $25 for a 50lb bag, it costs roughly $4.00 per month per chicken.
Q: Should I choose the cheapest feed available?
A: Not necessarily. Higher-quality feeds often have higher nutrient density, meaning the animal may actually require less volume to maintain weight, potentially making the “expensive” bag cheaper in the long run.
Q: How do I calculate feed for a mixed flock?
A: We recommend running the calculator separately for each species (e.g., once for your goats and once for your chickens) to get an accurate total homestead budget.
