Feeding

Feeding Laying Hens: Layer Feed, Calcium, Grit and How Much They Eat

Field guide · Updated October 13, 2026 · about 7 min read

A laying hen does best on one thing: a complete commercial feed made for her stage of life. Extension services agree on the broad plan — starter for chicks, a lower-protein grower for pullets, layer feed once eggs begin — but they give slightly different percentages and switch dates. This page puts their figures side by side, then covers the extras: oyster shell, grit, treats, water and storage.

Feed by age at a glance

Stage	Age	Crude protein	Notes
Starter	Hatch to about 6 weeks (Oregon State, Georgia); first 6–8 weeks (Penn State)	18–20% (Oregon State, Penn State); at least 18% (Alabama)	Often medicated against coccidiosis. Oregon State advises against 22% meat-bird starter for layer-type chicks. Georgia says to expect at least 4 lb of starter per bird.
Grower	From about 6 weeks to laying (Oregon State); 6–18 weeks (Georgia)	About 15–16% (Oregon State); 14–15% grower/developer (Penn State)	Georgia notes a combined starter/grower ration can cover both stages.
Developer (optional)	After about 14 weeks (Oregon State)	14–15%	Sometimes higher in calcium to support first eggs; Oregon State treats grower and developer as interchangeable until laying.
Layer	At 18–20 weeks or the first egg, whichever comes first (Oregon State); at 18 weeks (Georgia); over 18 weeks (Penn State)	About 16% (Oregon State); 16–18% (Penn State); 16% or more, around 18% recommended (Alabama)	3–4% calcium (Oregon State, Alabama). Usually not medicated.

Most pullets start laying at about 20 to 25 weeks, according to Alabama Extension; Penn State describes bringing hens into production around 20 weeks. The University of Georgia is blunt about mixing up the stages: do not feed layer rations to younger birds or starter/grower to birds producing eggs, because "the results can be dreadful."

Starter, 18–20% protein, hatch to about 6 weeks (Oregon State, Georgia; Penn State allows up to 8).
Grower, about 14–16% protein, from about 6 weeks until laying (Oregon State, Penn State, Georgia).
Developer, optional, 14–15% protein after about 14 weeks (Oregon State).
Switch to layer at 18–20 weeks or the first egg, whichever comes first (Oregon State); Georgia says 18 weeks.
Layer feed, about 16–18% protein and 3–4% calcium, with oyster shell offered separately where needed (Oregon State, Penn State, Alabama). Most pullets begin laying at about 20–25 weeks (Alabama).

Timeline drawn by HenClass from the extension figures cited on this page. Ages are approximate and sources differ by a week or two.

How much a hen eats

Alabama Extension puts a laying hen's intake at 100 to 150 grams of feed a day, roughly a quarter pound. Its own example: ten hens eat about 2.5 pounds a day, so a 50-pound bag lasts about 20 days. Oregon State gives no fixed ration and simply says feed should always be available, warning that meal feeding can cut production if it is poorly managed.

Hens	Feed per day	Feed per week	A 50-lb bag lasts about
3	0.75 lb	5.25 lb	66 days
6	1.5 lb	10.5 lb	33 days
10	2.5 lb	17.5 lb	20 days
15	3.75 lb	26.25 lb	13 days
20	5 lb	35 lb	10 days

Worked from Alabama Extension's figure of about 0.25 lb of feed per hen per day (hens × 0.25 lb; 50 lb ÷ daily total, rounded down). Real intake runs from about 0.22 to 0.33 lb (100–150 g) and changes with weather, size and laying rate. Bag freshness matters too: Oregon State says to store feed no longer than 2 months in a cool, dry place in sealed containers, and Alabama says feed should be no older than 3 months, so check the manufacture date before buying a larger bag.

Calcium and oyster shell

An eggshell is about 96% calcium carbonate, according to Alabama Extension, which is why layer feed carries 3–4% calcium. Sources differ on whether to add more:

Oregon State suggests offering ground oyster shell free-choice in a separate feeder for high-producing hens, or when shells are thin, crack easily or feel rough.
Penn State says laying hens need a calcium source such as oyster shell, offered free-choice in a separate feeder.
Alabama says oyster shell (about 95% calcium carbonate) is unnecessary with a high-quality layer diet but is inexpensive and not harmful, and that extra calcium has only marginal effects on shell thickness. It adds that the flock's own eggshells can be dried — in the sun for a day or two, or in an oven at 350°F for 10 minutes — and fed back.

Both Oregon State and Penn State put oyster shell in its own feeder, offered free-choice, rather than mixing it into the feed.

Grit

Grit means small, insoluble stones. Alabama says backyard birds eating only commercial feed do not need it, because the feed is already ground; birds eating whole grains and seeds do. Oregon State says to provide insoluble grit when you feed scratch — from pebbles on the ground or bought at a feed store — and notes that oyster shell is too soft to replace it. Penn State lists grit alongside calcium as something laying hens need. If your hens free-range or get scratch, offer grit.

Treats, scratch and scraps

Time limit: Oregon State limits scratch, table scraps and greens to what birds eat in about 20 minutes, roughly 10–15% of daily intake. Georgia says 10 to 20 minutes, and scraps must be fresh.
Why limit them: Penn State warns that table scraps or whole grains can decrease production and make birds fat, which can lead to prolapse. Alabama calls treats and scratch incomplete feeds, to be used sparingly or not at all.
Do not mix scratch into the feed (Alabama).
Greens help keep yolks deeply colored (Oregon State). Georgia says fresh grass clippings are fine if they have not been treated with chemicals.

Water

Oregon State calls water the most important nutrient. Hens drink about two to three times as much water as feed by weight (Oregon State), or about twice (Alabama). In practical terms, Alabama says one gallon a day covers roughly 16 hens, and Georgia says 20 hens can drink about a gallon a day in cool weather; both note that intake rises sharply in heat. Penn State recommends supplying at least 5 gallons per 100 birds daily and warns never to let laying hens go without water for more than 12 hours, or production drops or stops. For a waterer that stays clean, see the nipple bucket guide.

Feeders

Oregon State gives at least 1 linear inch of feeder space per chick and 4 inches per adult; Penn State gives 3 inches per bird, with the feeder lip level with the birds' backs and the trough filled only one-third to one-half full to reduce waste. The coop space calculator works out feeder length for your flock.

Medicated feed

Many starter feeds are medicated against coccidiosis; grower and layer feeds usually are not (Oregon State, Georgia). If any feed given to laying birds carries medication, follow the withdrawal dates on the label. For anything beyond the label, ask a veterinarian or your county extension office.

Feeding checklist

Buy a complete feed labelled for the birds' stage: starter, grower (or developer), then layer.
Switch to layer at about 18–20 weeks or the first egg — not earlier.
Keep feed available; plan on about a quarter pound per hen per day.
Offer oyster shell in a separate feeder if shells are thin or hens lay heavily.
Offer insoluble grit if birds get scratch, whole grains or free-range forage.
Limit treats to what the flock clears in 10–20 minutes.
Give clean water every day; never let hens go more than 12 hours without it.
Store feed sealed, cool and dry, and use it within 2–3 months of manufacture.

Feed is only one reason laying slows; age is another. See how long hens keep laying and estimate your flock's output with the egg production calculator. Chicks also need warmth before they need much feed — see heat lamps and brooding and the week-by-week chick care checklist.