Knowledgebase
0-6 week chicks feed consumption #924750
Asked February 18, 2026, 1:34 PM EST
Sarasota County Florida
Expert Response
For a ball park figure, I would expect each Barred Rock chick to eat a total of about 2 lbs of feed over the first six weeks of life if given a typical chick starter feed containing 18-20% crude protein. But please remember that feed consumption can be impacted by factors other than breed (e.g., chick sex, temperature of environment, feed nutrient profile).
Are you planning to raise these chicks for meat or for egg production? If you're thinking about them for meat, keep in mind that they will be pretty small at that age (much smaller than meat-type chickens). At 6 weeks of age, I would expect Barred Rock chicks to weigh about one pound with males being heavier and females being lighter.
