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.)
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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!
108 Comments
tat
May 3, 2015 at 8:46 pmI entered my email and confirmed last night but still haven’t gotten it, I’ve looked all through my spam and different tabs but nothing.
Linda Ly
May 6, 2015 at 2:51 pmI may be responding to this late, but I just checked the status of your re-send and it looks like you received it!
Keri
April 27, 2015 at 4:37 amI entered my email and confirmed it, but haven’t received a link to download the calculator, about how long does it usually take to send? Just wondering:)
Linda Ly
April 27, 2015 at 5:56 pmDepending on your email provider, it might take up to 10 minutes to arrive in your inbox. I’ll look into this and force send it to you in case it got tangled up in a spam catcher. You should see it shortly!
CountryJackG
March 13, 2015 at 3:51 pmGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content | Garden Betty http://t.co/9gDtmGSySZ
FarrierJackG
March 13, 2015 at 3:51 pmGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content | Garden Betty http://t.co/qAifSnWmAD
help
March 10, 2015 at 11:27 amI cant figure out how to download the spreadsheet there arent any links to click on
Linda Ly
March 10, 2015 at 7:43 pmAll instructions are in this post. You will need to enter your email and confirm it before being sent a link to download the spreadsheet. http://mad.ly/signups/125694/join
Taylor
March 1, 2015 at 1:26 pmI tried to make my own excel spreadsheet before finding this. THANK YOU for doing all of the hard work for me!
Linda Ly
March 1, 2015 at 4:55 pmYou’re welcome, I hope you find it useful!
diegartenfrau
January 1, 2015 at 7:07 pmIs it possible to change the protein value? I don’t seem to be able to change it to a different protein amount.
Thanks
Linda Ly
January 2, 2015 at 6:18 pmYes, you can change the protein value of any of the ingredients. Simple replace it with your own numbers. The protein value at the bottom of the spreadsheet, however, will change automatically as you devise your recipe. Ensure that you have actually downloaded the spreadsheet to your hard drive before you play around with it, as I do not allow changes to be made online.
AridAcresHomest
December 9, 2014 at 7:00 pmGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content | Garden Betty http://t.co/I2iIt62JQf
AridAcresHomest
December 9, 2014 at 3:01 pmGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content | Garden Betty http://t.co/Dm1Lt71lyo
AridAcresHomest
December 9, 2014 at 11:01 amGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content | Garden Betty http://t.co/jzydlRgchE
AridAcresHomest
December 9, 2014 at 7:01 amGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content | Garden Betty http://t.co/48La7C26Mr http://t.co/pWXsZsCgLY
AridAcresHomest
December 9, 2014 at 7:01 amGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content | Garden Betty http://t.co/0W1mGV3uhZ
Nancy Jacques Barratt
December 6, 2014 at 11:27 amI am working on your spreadsheet for us. The column (D) with this title confuses me: Total Weight Per Feed (lbs.). I am unsure what this is supposed to be.
Never mind, I see that is one of the calculated fields. I got the following through Azure Standard and it seems the protein levels on their nutrition labels don’t match up with yours??
For instance:
Kamut protein = 7g/25 lb bag
Hard red wheat protein = 6g/50lb bag
Rye Berries protein = 5g/50lb bag
Triticale protein = 5g/50lb bag
Flax Seeds protein =2g/25lb bag
BOSS from local feed store protein = 9% 40lb bag
Linda Ly
December 7, 2014 at 8:13 pmI determine the % by calculating how many grams of protein there are in 100 grams of that particular grain. (For example, 15 grams of protein in 100 grams of grains equals 15% protein.) So check the label for the serving size associated with the protein content shown.
theGardenBetty
December 2, 2014 at 7:31 amIf you formulate your own poultry feed, here’s an easy to way to calculate your protein content on the fly: http://t.co/I0MdTUTlbF #chickens
Momtoafew
November 29, 2014 at 1:33 pmThank you so much for this! 🙂
Linda Ly
November 29, 2014 at 11:06 pmYou’re welcome!
theGardenBetty
November 20, 2014 at 5:00 pmGarden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/VPnkLLBNQE #poultry < TY for RT! @boboroshi
Bridget Durham
November 19, 2014 at 6:51 pmI can’t figure out how to download the .xlsx file….?
Bridget Durham
November 19, 2014 at 7:10 pmnever mind….figured it out 😉
Garden Betty
November 19, 2014 at 7:10 pmAfter you’ve opened the Google doc, click on File > Download as > Excel.
theGardenBetty
November 19, 2014 at 3:01 pmIf you DIY your feed: Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/WCn4fx52OI #backyardchickens
boboroshi
November 19, 2014 at 9:04 amRT @theGardenBetty: My free spreadsheet download: Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/V…
theGardenBetty
November 19, 2014 at 9:01 amMy free spreadsheet download: Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/VPnkLLBNQE #poultry
theGardenBetty
November 18, 2014 at 6:00 pmCalculate nutrition content on the fly! Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/4pHIQtBPuq
theGardenBetty
November 18, 2014 at 12:01 pmA handy tool if you make your own feed: Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/LJ1anYVTOp
Annie Beck
November 18, 2014 at 8:49 amWhere do you obtain some of the ingredients not readily available in the majority of stores?
Garden Betty
November 18, 2014 at 4:07 pmI cover some of my sources in the original feed recipe (http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/) but currently I buy from Azure Standard, WinCo Foods, and Amazon. Occasionally I’ll buy from my local feed/farm supply store. Since I buy in bulk, I only need to order ingredients 2-3 times a year.
theGardenBetty
November 18, 2014 at 6:01 amMix your own feed? Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/tNkYfHIgEu #poultry #homesteading
theGardenBetty
November 17, 2014 at 10:14 pmBlogged on Garden Betty: Garden Betty’s Chicken Feed Calculator For Determining Your Protein Content http://t.co/ivoAKjRoel