Short answer: under good management a broiler eats about 3.2 kg of feed to reach day 35 and about 4.6 kg by day 42. For 1,000 birds that is roughly 64 bags of 50 kg to day 35. At Vital Feeds (Private) Limited, our mill team uses this chart every week to help farmers plan feed orders.
Knowing the number is useful for three jobs: ordering the right amount of feed, spotting a sick or stressed flock early, and checking your feed conversion ratio.
How much feed does a broiler eat each day?
These figures come from the Ross 308 breeder's published 2022 performance objectives (Aviagen), as-hatched flock, good conditions. Real farms vary, so use your own breed supplement as the final word.
| Day | Feed per day (g) | Total feed so far (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 35 | 166 |
| 14 | 67 | 535 |
| 21 | 105 | 1,155 |
| 28 | 145 | 2,051 |
| 35 | 180 | 3,211 |
| 42 | 207 | 4,586 |
Notice that more than half of all feed to day 35 is eaten in the last two weeks. That is why a stock-out or a bad batch in week 5 costs far more than the same problem in week 1.
The same Ross table puts the target weight at 2,296 g on day 35, so 3,211 g of feed for that weight gives a feed conversion ratio of about 1.4. Most open-sided sheds in Pakistan do worse than that in summer, so check your own ratio against the broiler weight chart every week.
How many bags of feed do I need for my flock?
- Pick the day you plan to sell. For day 35, use 3.2 kg per bird.
- Multiply by the number of birds placed. 1,000 chicks × 3.2 kg = 3,200 kg.
- Divide by 50 kg per bag. 3,200 ÷ 50 = 64 bags.
- Add 5 to 10 percent for spillage and hard weather. That makes about 67 to 70 bags.
Our broiler feed calculator does these steps for any flock size and selling age, and splits the bags into starter, grower and finisher.
Ask your mill to deliver in stages so the feed stays fresh in the store. Keep bags dry, off the floor and away from rats between deliveries, and use the oldest bags first.
How much starter, grower and finisher per bird?
The Ross Broiler Pocket Guide (Aviagen, 2025) sets starter from day 0 to 10, grower from day 11 to 24 and finisher after day 25. It also notes that starter can run to day 14 if the flock is behind its target weight. Using the total-feed column of the Ross 2022 table, we worked out the share of each stage to day 35:
| Stage | Days | Feed per bird (g) | Bags of 50 kg per 1,000 birds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 0–10 | about 300 | about 6 |
| Grower | 11–24 | about 1,210 | about 24 |
| Finisher | 25–35 | about 1,710 | about 34 |
Starter is a small share of the bags but sets up the whole crop. Finisher is more than half of the feed, which is why the Ross guide calls it the biggest part of total feed intake. Blend each stage change over two to three days.
How should feeders be set so feed is not wasted?
Spilled feed is still counted as feed eaten in your records, so it makes your feed use look high. The Ross pocket guide gives these simple checks:
- Height: raise feeders every day so the lip is level with the top of the birds' breast.
- Space: 45–80 birds per pan feeder (fewer for birds over 3.5 kg), 70 birds per tube feeder of 38 cm, or 2.5 cm per bird on a chain or track feeder.
- Feed form: crumble up to day 10, then pellets. Too much dust and broken pellets cuts intake and growth.
- Clear-out: from about day 10–12, let birds empty the pans once a day, then refill straight away so old fines do not build up.
Why does my flock eat more or less than the chart?
- Eating more: feeders set too low so feed is spilled, wet litter, cold chicks burning energy (see winter shed management for broilers), or crumble that has turned to powder.
- Eating less: heat (see summer heat stress), short water supply, disease, or a sudden switch of feed.
Always compare feed eaten with weight gained. A flock that eats the chart amount but is under the weight chart has an FCR problem, not a feed-amount problem. If birds look sick, call your vet.
What mistakes push feed use up?
- Ordering by the calendar only, then running out in the last week.
- Filling feeders to the top in week 1, which wastes feed. Fill a little, often.
- Judging a feed by price per bag instead of cost per kilogram of bird. Read our guide on what drives feed price.
- Not weighing birds. Without weights, feed numbers alone tell you very little.
The chart is a guide, not a promise. For the basics of poultry production, the FAO poultry production pages are a good free reference.
Written by Waqas Rafiq, CEO, Vital Feeds (Private) Limited.
Want help planning feed for your next flock? See our broiler feed in Pakistan, the wider poultry feed range, or message the mill on WhatsApp (UAN 0311 1555136).