If you’ve been following either of my recipes for homemade chicken feed (the original whole-grain feed or the updated corn-free feed), you may have wondered how to calculate the protein content of the recipe should you decide to mix things up.
Perhaps you want to try some other grains and seeds for your flock, or you need to formulate a higher-protein feed for baby chicks, growers, or chickens going through a hard molt.
I personally use a spreadsheet to calculate my figures and manage my costs, and now I’m making this file available to you!
I created this spreadsheet when I first started making my own chicken feed, and still use it from time to time when I reformulate my recipe. (This usually happens in late summer to early fall, when my flock is molting and their nutritional needs change a bit.)
Disclosure: If you shop from my article or make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive commissions on some of the products I recommend.
Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator works as an Excel (.xlsx) download, so you can save the spreadsheet to your computer, create a custom recipe, and edit the information as needed.
I’ve included a list of common grains, seeds, legumes, and other ingredients that typically make up a poultry feed, along with their crude protein content and crude fat content.
After entering the quantity and weight of each ingredient you use, the total protein will update automatically, allowing you to formulate your feed on the fly.
Weight is the most accurate measure for whole grains, so I recommend investing in a kitchen scale if you haven’t already. This is the one I use.
The amount of protein you should aim for depends on the age of your chickens.
| Age Range | Amount of Protein Required |
| Chick starter (1 to 8 weeks) | 20 to 22 percent protein |
| Grower (8 to 18 weeks) | 16 to 17 percent protein |
| Layer (18 weeks plus, or after the first egg) | 16 to 17 percent protein, plus free-choice oyster shells (for calcium) |
While the recommended ranges are ideal for feeding, they don’t take into account other greens, weeds, seeds, bugs, and treats that your chickens may eat throughout the day, especially if they free-range.
Don’t get too hung up on the number if you’re feeding other things besides grains; a diverse diet is more important than a strict percentage.
I’ve also included a column to calculate the cost of your ingredients. Simply input the price per pound, and the spreadsheet will update with the total cost of your feed. This is especially useful for figuring out if it’s cost-effective to buy certain ingredients.
I buy mine in bulk from Azure Standard, as well as from Amazon (using their free Prime shipping — you can sign up for a 30-day trial here) and my local feed stores.
Keep in mind that the spreadsheet offers a simplistic view of your flock’s nutritional needs. It only determines the protein level of your feed, and doesn’t consider the other crucial components of a diet, such as amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Try to use a wide variety of grains, seeds, and legumes (as well as a steady supply of greens and kitchen scraps) to round out your chickens’ feed.
(If you want to learn more, the University of Kentucky Poultry Extension offers excellent information on poultry nutrition.)
The protein and fat content shown for each ingredient are based on nutrition information sourced from my own ingredient labels, as well as typical values listed on cooperative extension sites.
They are not identical across producers (sometimes differing by several points depending on the varieties and growing conditions).
In order to have the most accurate calculation for your custom feed, use the nutrition information from your own packaging, or ask the feed mill from where you source your ingredients.
If you’re adding new ingredients to the spreadsheet but don’t know their nutritional values, a reliable source to check is Self’s Nutrition Data.
Enter the name of your ingredient in the search box, select the appropriate result, change the serving size to 100 grams, and use the figures shown under “Total Fat” and “Protein.” An ingredient listing 1g of fat and 15g of protein will have 1 percent fat and 15 percent protein, for example.
You can download the chicken feed calculator by entering your email address below. (Your email will not be given or sold to third parties. I hate spam, too.)
Happy mixing!
Would like a copy of the calculator. Thank you.
Hello! Thank you for all of your information. There was so much that I have learned. I am requesting your calculator for the chicken feed please. I feel I can make a better one than th e commercial feed. Thanks again!!
I would love the feed calculator. I am allergic to corn so we have to come up with something else to feed the ladies. Thanks so much for your help!
Thank you for all of your posts about creating chicken feed! I would love to get your calculator so I can jump into the next phase of my hen raising
Thanks
Alex
putting name in for calculator
I was looking for the place to put my email to get the calculator & it isn’t showing on the page. Are you able to send it to me?
All I can see is where to put the address when I post my comment.
Okay, never mind. I got the calculator. Thanks!
hello,
can you email me your chicken feed calculator?
thanks
can i get a copy of the calculater please. thank you!!
Hello!
I would like to receive the chicken feed calculator.
Please send me
I would like a copy of your feed calculator, please.
Thanks for this!! Greatly appreciate it.
Wondering how I would go about adding another ingredient and getting all the calculations to come up for it. I was able to insert a row, but nothing comes up in the %’s, etc.
Thanks.
Hi! I love your site! May I please have the calculator too? Thanks!
Hello. Requesting Chicken feed calculator spreadsheet Please 🙂
THANKS
Got it. Thank you!
Like to see what you have thanks
Could you please share the calculator?
Just enter your email address in the form and you’ll be emailed a link to the calculator. The form is at the bottom of my post.
Can you explain the last column, the total cost “per feed?” I can’t figure out what this is based on? Per batch of my total number of cups from column? I am trying to make a large trash can’s worth of feed. Thanks!
I had the calculator on my computer. I went to use it and it said it was not there. So i went to get it again. I sent my email 2 times but have not received it. Is there some way to send it again?
Same issue as above. Would love to get the calculator as well. thanks!
I checked for the Gmail address you left, but it wasn’t found in my database. Did you enter your email in the form? The calculator’s sent automatically that way.
Would love the calculator
Found the link. Thanks
Hi! Please send me your calculator. emily.oren@gmail.com
Hi Emily, please enter your email address directly in the form in my post. The calculator will be sent to you that way!
Please send me your calculator. I’m trying to adjust protein levels. thank you in advance. elsee1552@yahoo.com.
Hi Lynda, you’ll have to enter your email address directly in the form in my post. Due to email regulations, I can’t do it for you as I need permission to email you.
Can I please get your chicken feed calculator, too? I have been winging it (in not a good way) and feel like my birds need more protein. I let them free-range on our property a lot so luckily they do get adequate protein for most of the day when they are out in eating lots of bugs and whatever they find. I have hens and a couple roosters, and they actually escape daily to forage, my ducks stay in their pen usually with the other heavier breeds that can’t fly out (I am working on better securing them in before it gets too cold).. I have no idea how to figure out how much of what I should mix to make the right proportions for layer protein requirements since some grains are 11-13% protein and the sunflowers are 24% protein, birdseed mix is 14% protein, peas are 8% protein, etc… and my husband is getting irritated that I just keep buying new things, haha- we were buying New Country Organic duck layer which is very expensive and they have been spoiled rotten and turn their noses up to anything processed. I have some birds molting so know they needed added protein and am going to buy a 22lb bag of mealworms to mix in for more protein. I’d like to buy fish-meal but can’t seem to find it in bulk and the company Azure doesn’t deliver to New England as of yet. The fermented diet was a really great thing but more work, and once again I wasn’t feeding them enough protein in my own mix I realized and would supplement with the New Country Organics and whatever bugs they’d catch. Sorry for my long rambling post. Thanks in advance if you can send me the feed blend calculator!! Just let me know the next steps.
Greetings from Thailand! Please send me your feed calculator too (bryan.hugill@gmail.com). Thanks a million, Bryan
Your calculator is excellent! I have had to formulate a gluten-free chicken feed due to my severe gluten allergy and it has helped so much. I have 2 questions about ingredients: are the “oats” whole raw oat groats or rolled oats? And are the “amaranth seeds” actually the seeds you would use to grow amaranth or is it amaranth grains like one would use to make a porridge? Thanks!
Oats generally have the same nutritional value no matter how they’re processed (whole groats, steel cut, rolled, etc.) so I just use whatever’s least expensive at the time. As for amaranth seeds vs. amaranth grain: they are one and the same. (Technically speaking, amaranth is a seed, not a grain or cereal.) The different colors come from different varieties of amaranth.
I entered my email, got the confirmation response and confirmed. Nothing. How do I get the chicken feed calculator ?
My apologies, I am currently in the process of transferring email addresses to a new email provider and hope to have that squared away in the next day or two. Once I verify that everything is working as it should, you’ll get an email with a link to download the calculator. Thank you for your patience!
I entered my email, got the confirmation response and confirmed. Nothing. Would love to get your chicken feed calculator. My email is pinkkitty420@gmail.com
My apologies. I’m currently in the process of transferring email addresses to a new email provider and hope to have that squared away in the next day or two. Once I verify that everything is working as it should, you’ll get an email with a link to download the calculator. I appreciate your patience!
I dont get any email. I tried several and also checked spam folder
Hi, I’m unable to view your email address in this comment, so please send me an email and I’ll look for your account. If you use Gmail, please also check your Updates or Promotions folders.
Entered my email (against my better judgement mind you) clicked the link and nothing not even in spam folder. How do we actually get the calculator?
Hi Tori, please send me an email so I can look up your email address and make sure it was confirmed. The chicken feed calculator is automatically emailed to your address upon confirmation, so it sometimes lands in a spam folder or a promotions/updates-type folder.
I can assure you that your email address only goes to me, and is never shared.
I downloaded the calculator and went to enter an amount and the result columns errors. How do I fix this
What column did you enter the amount in? And what kind of amount? The formulas in the spreadsheet are designed to calculate whatever you enter, so is it possible you mistyped one of the quantities or weights?
How can I receive the spreadsheet for calculator
Hi, all instructions are in this post!
How can I too get the spreadsheet of chicken feed calculator, my e-mail
nkwamadaudi@yahoo.com
Hi, I checked your email but was unable to locate it in my database. Please follow the instructions in this blog post for adding your email to confirm that you want to receive the spreadsheet.
I dont get any email. I tried several and also checked spam folder.
Hi Peter, please email me (using the Contact page on this site) so I can look up your email address and see if it’s been sent to you.
Linda
On your spreadsheet column titles, what is the difference between the 2 columns:
Crude
Protein Content
and
Crude Protein %
in Feed
Crude Protein Content is the amount of crude protein in a single ingredient. Crude Protein % in Feed is the percentage of crude protein that the ingredient comprises in the whole feed mixture (this column is calculated automatically when you input the other values).
Hi Garden Betty’s I entered my email but I haven’t receive the chicken feed calculator. Please send me, I would thank you forever.
Hi, please check your spam folder, as the emails sometimes get routed there.
I am not receiving email to confirm contact info, not in junk file/spam either.
Not sure why but I can’t open the spreadsheet from the link you sent, is there anyway you could send it to me as an attachment?
You need to have some type of spreadsheet program on your computer in order to open the file.
I signed up for the chicken feed calculator and I have a spreadsheet, but didn’t receive it…what went wrong?
My account shows the email was sent on April 22, 2017 09:17 AM. You may want to check your spam folder, or if you pull your emails into Gmail, check the Updates or Promotions tabs. I’ve also resent it to your email.
I have an apple computer and can’t get this to open in a format that I can edit it. Any ideas of how I download onto Mac and it can be edited? Thanks!
Hi, you need a spreadsheet program (like Excel, Numbers, or Google sheets) to open the file and enable the calculating functions to work.