Feed Consumption Plan and Body Weight Target for Laying Hens

Feed consumption plan can help you estimate how much feed your birds will need at each stage (Chick, grower and laying). This will help you estimate feed cost before beforehand. The feed plan below is base on commercial brown egg layers that are reared intensively (i.e. they’re reared in an enclosed building and provided with feed and water daily. They’re not allowed to free-range). Obviously, you mustn’t follow this plan exactly as it is, you can make adjustments according to your own unique conditions.

Chick Starter: This is usually fed for the first 8-9 weeks. Switch to grower only when the body weight target have been achieved (i.e. about 720g from the chart below).

Grower Diet: This is usually fed from 8-9 weeks until 5% of the birds start laying. This can be at 20 weeks (more or less).

Layers Diet: A switch is made from grower to layers diet when 5% of the birds start laying. Layers feed is continued until the birds are sold, usually at 72-80 weeks. They may be made to lay a second time by force molting.

Note:

The actual amount of feed consumed depends on the energy content of the feed. The higher the energy content the lesser the feed consumed and vice versa.

Note: Birds feed to satisfy their energy requirement. This means that if a feed energy content is high, birds will eat less of it and be satisfied. Energy content of feed is given as metabolisable energy (ME) in kilo calorie per kg (Kcal/kg) or Mega joules per kg (MJ/kg). Check the label of the feed bag and you will see it.

The feed consumption chart below is based on a ME of 2900 kcal/kg or 12.14 MJ/kg. So if the feed you give your birds has lesser value than that, you will need to feed more or if it is greater, you feed less.

**Layers Feed Consumption and Body Weight Chart (Hyline Brown Breed. Feed metabolisable energy = 2900 kcal/kg or 12.14 MJ/kg)**
Age in Weeks	Feed Consumption in grams				Body Weight in grams
	Floor Rearing		Cage Rearing		Floor Rearing	Cage Rearing
	g/day	gram cummulative	g/day	g cummulative	Floor Rearing	Cage Rearing
1	13	91	10	70	70	70
2	19	224	18	196	120	120
3	24	392	21	343	190	200
4	29	595	27	532	280	280
5	34	833	30	742	380	390
6	37	1092	36	994	480	500
7	42	1386	40	1274	580	620
8	48	1722	43	1575	680	750
9	55	2107	49	1918	770	860
10	61	2534	54	2296	870	970
11	65	2989	58	2702	960	1080
12	70	3479	62	3136	1050	1170
13	73	3990	65	3591	1130	1250
14	77	4529	68	4067	1210	1310
15	78	5075	70	4557	1290	1370
16	80	5635	75	5082	1360	1430
17	81	6202	77	5621	1430	1490

**Layers Feed Consumption and Body Weight Chart (Hyline Brown Breed. Feed metabolisable energy = 2900 kcal/kg or 12.14 MJ/kg)**
Age in weeks	Body Weight in Kg	Feed Consumption (g/day/bird)	Age in Weeks	Body Weight in Kg	Feed Consumption (g/day/bird)
18	1.54	78	50	1.95	110
19	1.6	80	51	1.95	110
20	1.65	89	52	1.95	110
21	1.72	93	53	1.95	110
22	1.78	96	54	1.95	110
23	1.8	100	55	1.96	110
24	1.84	103	56	1.96	110
25	1.85	104	57	1.96	110
26	1.86	105	58	1.96	110
27	1.88	106	59	1.96	110
28	1.89	108	60	1.96	110
29	1.9	108	61	1.96	110
30	1.9	108	62	1.96	110
31	1.9	109	63	1.96	110
32	1.91	109	64	1.96	110
33	1.91	110	65	1.96	110
34	1.91	110	66	1.96	109
35	1.91	110	67	1.96	109
36	1.92	110	68	1.96	109
37	1.92	110	69	1.96	109
38	1.92	110	70	1.97	109
39	1.93	110	71	1.97	109
40	1.93	110	72	1.97	109
41	1.93	110	73	1.97	109
42	1.94	110	74	1.97	109
43	1.94	110	75	1.97	109
44	1.94	110	76	1.97	109
45	1.95	110	77	1.97	109
46	1.95	110	78	1.97	109
47	1.95	110	79	1.97	109
48	1.95	110	80	1.97	109
49	1.95	110

Below is a feed plan and body weight target for Isa & Shaver Brown (Common in Nigeria) from day old to 90 weeks of age. Source: Isa Brown Management Guide

Feed consumption and body weight chart for Isa brown

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