Free tools for backyard chicken keepers
Backyard Chicken Calculator Hub
Work out coop size, feed, eggs, brooder heat and hatching dates in seconds — free, no sign-up, and every figure traced to a university extension source.
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- 41 calculators
- 1,010 guides
- Extension-sourced figures
- Free — no sign-up
All chicken calculators
Forty-one calculators in five groups. Start with coop size if you are planning a flock, or jump straight to the tool you need.
Coop & run
Chicken Coop Size Calculator
Birds × breed size × setup → coop sq ft, footprint, roost length, nest boxes.
Chicken Run Size Calculator
Birds × breed × confined vs free-range → run sq ft, fencing and mesh.
Roost Space Calculator
Bar length, height, spacing and bars needed, by breed size.
Coop Ventilation Calculator
Coop size + climate → CFM, vent area and high/low split.
Reverse Fit Calculator
Coop size → how many chickens it holds, by breed.
Coop Materials & Cost Calculator
Coop size → itemised materials, editable prices and cut list.
Coop Lighting Calculator
Location + date → daylight hours and supplemental light schedule.
Stocking Density Calculator
Acres → birds, with a check-your-local-rules note.
Coop Bedding Calculator
Coop floor size → cubic feet of bedding, bags or bales needed.
Feed & cost
Chicken Feed Calculator
Flock × age/breed → lb per day and bags per month.
Chicken Feed Cost Calculator
Your prices → cost per day, per dozen and per month.
Chick Feed Calculator by Age
Chicks × age → week-by-week starter, grower and layer feed.
Feed Formulation Calculator
Ingredients + targets → ration mix with protein and energy.
Feed Conversion Ratio Calculator
Feed + eggs/meat → FCR, feed-per-egg and benchmarks.
Cost Per Dozen Calculator
Feed + costs → cost per dozen, selling price and payback.
Treats Calculator
Flock size → most treats per day under the 90/10 rule.
Broiler Yield Calculator
Live weight + breed type → dressed weight and freezer space.
Chicken Feeder Calculator
Flock size and age → feeder space, trough length and tube feeders.
Eggs & hatching
Egg Production Calculator
Hens × breed laying rate → eggs per week, with seasonality.
Hatch Date Calculator
Set date → hatch date, lockdown, candling and turning schedule.
First Egg Calculator
Breed + hatch date → first egg date and egg colour.
Egg Colour Calculator
Parent breeds → egg colour probabilities and a visual egg chart.
Hatch Rate Calculator
Eggs set + results → fertility, hatchability and a diagnosis.
Egg Weight-Loss Calculator
Egg weight over days → weight-loss % and an on-track verdict.
Sex-Linked Chicken Calculator
Parent cross → pullet or cockerel at hatch, with genetics.
Incubator Capacity Calculator
Chicks wanted per week + hatch rate → setter and hatcher size.
Egg Size Chart
Egg weight → USDA size class, Peewee to Jumbo, plus dozen weight.
Chicks & brooder
Chick Brooder Size & Heat Planner
Chicks × age → brooder sq ft, heat-lamp watts and feed by week.
Brooder Temperature Calculator
Hatch date → week-by-week temperature schedule.
Chick Growth Calculator
Breed + age → expected weight range and an on-track verdict.
Heat-Lamp Wattage Calculator
Brooder size + ambient temperature → watts needed.
Molting Calculator
Hen age + breed → expected molt window and resume-laying date.
Health & flock
Worming Dosage Calculator
Bird weight → Safeguard dosage, with a vet disclaimer.
Nest Box Calculator
Hens → nest boxes needed, dimensions and mounting height.
Chicken Water Calculator
Flock × temperature → litres per day, waterer size and drinking points.
Flock Planner
Eggs wanted per week → hens, coop, feed and cost in one flow.
Rooster to Hen Ratio Calculator
Flock size + breed type → roosters needed, with the 1 per 10–12 rule.
Corid Dosage Calculator
Corid 9.6% liquid → dose per gallon for standard, severe and follow-up treatment.
Manure Compost Calculator
Flock size → fresh manure, bedding and finished compost estimates.
Chicken Inbreeding Coefficient Calculator
Parents’ relationship → inbreeding coefficient (F) and risk band.
Chicken Manure Fertilizer Calculator
Bed area and rate → composted manure in lb, kg and buckets.
Why PeckCalc
Breed tables, not guesses. Every calculator that depends on breed uses the same 16-breed table — size, eggs per year, egg colour and point of lay — so the coop calculator, the feed calculator and the egg calculator all agree with each other.
Extension-sourced figures. The numbers come from published university extension sources: Penn State Extension, the University of Minnesota Extension, Virginia Tech and Hy-Line breed data. Where sources disagree — for example 3 vs 4 sq ft per bird in the coop — the page shows the range and lets you pick the standard instead of pretending one number is settled fact.
The tools nobody else has. Six of our calculators do not exist anywhere else on the web: the egg-colour / olive-egger calculator, chick growth by age, chick feed by age, roost space, worming dosage and the molting calculator. They are here because chicken keepers asked for them and nobody built them.
No prices invented. Feed, egg and material prices vary by place and time, so PeckCalc never hard-codes them. Cost calculators ask you to enter your own local price — the maths is ours, the prices are yours.
Guides — start here
Long, practical guides that support the calculators. Each one answers the question behind the keyword, with real tables and no fluff.
Chicken Breed Size Chart
Size, eggs per year, egg colour and point of lay for 16 breeds.
Bantam vs Standard Chickens
How size changes space, feed, eggs and temperament.
How Many Eggs Per Week by Breed
Weekly egg counts for the common laying breeds.
Chicken Breeds That Lay Coloured Eggs
Blue, green, olive and dark brown layers, breed by breed.
Backyard Chicken Laws
What the rules usually cover, and how to check your own city.
Do I Need a Permit to Keep Chickens?
When a permit is needed, and what to ask your city.
Chicken Coop Size by Flock Size
Coop and run sizes for 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 chickens.
How to Build a Chicken Coop
Planning, sizing, ventilation, predator-proofing and materials.
Chicken Coop Plans with Run
Layout ideas that pair a coop with the right run.
How Much Feed Per Chicken Per Day by Age
Starter, grower and layer feed by week of age.
Chick Brooder Temperature by Week
The week-by-week temperature schedule, and the signs to watch.
How Much Water Chickens Drink in Summer
Hot-weather intake, and how to keep water cool and clean.
How to Get Chickens to Lay in Nest Boxes
Why hens lay on the floor, and how to fix it.
How to Hatch Chicken Eggs
Incubation from set day to hatch day, step by step.
How to Raise Baby Chicks
Brooder, heat, feed and water for the first six weeks.
Chicken Feed Types Explained
Starter, grower, layer, scratch and grit — what each one is for.
Why Are My Chickens Not Laying Eggs?
The common causes, in the order to check them.
How to Keep Chickens Cool in Summer
Shade, water, ventilation and the warning signs of heat stress.
What to Feed Chickens
A complete feeding guide, from chicks to layers.
Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners
Friendly, hardy, productive breeds for a first flock.
How to Keep Chickens Warm in Winter
Insulation, water, light and cold-hardy breeds.
How to Introduce New Chickens to a Flock
Quarantine, the look-but-don't-touch method, and the pecking order.
New guides
Salmonella in Backyard Chickens
Salmonella can pass from healthy hens to people through eggs and droppings. How it spreads, the signs, and how to lower the risk.
Can Chickens Eat Oranges?
Yes, in small amounts. Citrus, vitamin C, seeds, and why the calcium scare is overblown.
Why Do Hens Cackle After Laying an Egg?
The egg song is a loud call that may warn the flock, celebrate, or displace. What it means, and when it matters.
Bresse Chickens: The French Meat Breed Explained
France's famous meat breed, known for flavour, blue legs and white feathers.
How to Build a Chicken Tractor
A movable coop and run in one, sized for your flock and shifted daily onto fresh grass.
How to Check If Chickens Are Legal in My Area
City code, zoning, HOA rules, and permits. A step-by-step process to check before you buy birds.
Frequently asked questions
What is PeckCalc?
PeckCalc is a free backyard chicken calculator hub. It answers the how much and how big questions chicken keepers ask — coop size, feed, eggs, brooder heat, hatching dates and more — with figures from university extension sources.
Are the PeckCalc calculators free?
Yes. Every calculator on PeckCalc is free to use, with no sign-up and no account. All calculations happen in your browser.
Where do the figures come from?
The figures come from published university extension sources, including Penn State Extension, the University of Minnesota Extension, Virginia Tech and Hy-Line breed data. Where sources disagree, the page shows the range and lets you pick the standard.
Do I need to enter feed prices?
Yes, for cost calculators. PeckCalc never hard-codes feed, egg or material prices, because prices vary by place and time. You enter your own local price and the calculator does the rest.
Can PeckCalc tell me how many chickens I can keep?
PeckCalc can work out how many chickens fit your coop and run, but the legal limit depends on your city and county. Some places limit flock size, ban roosters or require a permit, so always check your local ordinance before getting chickens.