Raising broilers is all about balance. You want fast, efficient growth, but not at the expense of bird health or ethical standards. The key to achieving that balance lies in your feed program. This broiler feed breakdown will walk you through what matters most in creating strong, productive birds while keeping animal welfare and long-term sustainability in mind.
At Kreamer Feed, we’ve spent decades working with poultry producers to develop feeds that deliver on all fronts: performance, nutrition, and responsibility. Whether you’re running a commercial broiler operation or raising birds in a smaller-scale system, understanding the components of healthy broiler feed is essential to your success.
The Basics of Broiler Nutrition
Broilers are bred for rapid muscle development, which means their diet needs to support fast growth without compromising their overall well-being. A typical broiler nutrition plan includes three stages:
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Starter Feed (0–3 weeks): High in protein and energy to support early muscle and bone development
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Grower Feed (3–6 weeks): Moderate protein with balanced energy to continue strong growth
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Finisher Feed (6 weeks to market): Slightly lower protein with increased energy to add finishing weight efficiently
A solid broiler nutrition guide focuses on optimizing feed conversion and maintaining gut health while avoiding excess fat or leg problems that can arise from overly aggressive feeding strategies.
Poultry Feed Components That Matter
So, what should you look for in fast-growing chicken feed that also supports health and ethical practices?
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High-Quality Protein Sources
Protein is critical for tissue and muscle development. Look for clean, digestible ingredients like soybean meal, organic fish meal, or field peas in your feed formulation. Amino acids like lysine and methionine should be properly balanced to support growth. -
Energy from Grains and Fats
Corn and other cereal grains are excellent energy sources. Fats from plant oils also provide a calorie-dense energy boost needed for growth without overloading the digestive system. -
Vitamins and Minerals
Broilers require a full spectrum of micronutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D, to support bone development and metabolic function. Without them, birds may grow quickly but develop structural or immune challenges. -
Digestive Aids
Ethical feeding also means reducing the risk of disease. Probiotics, prebiotics, and natural enzymes can improve gut health and nutrient absorption, reducing the need for medication and supporting more natural immunity.
Healthy and Ethical Poultry Feeding
Ethics in broiler feeding isn’t just about what’s in the feed, it’s about how feed supports overall bird welfare. Ethical poultry feeding emphasizes:
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Properly balanced rations to avoid overfeeding
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Natural growth rates without artificial enhancers
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Clean, non-medicated ingredients whenever possible
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Support for mobility, comfort, and longevity through responsible nutrition
Birds that eat well, grow steadily, and avoid nutritional stress live better and perform better. At Kreamer Feed, we believe feed should be formulated with the bird’s well-being in mind just as much as performance metrics.
Why Feed Quality Affects Everything
A good broiler feed breakdown reveals just how much feed quality influences every part of your operation:
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Growth rates that align with market goals
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Mortality rates that stay low due to better health
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Feed efficiency that keeps input costs manageable
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Consumer confidence in how birds are raised
Choosing a high-quality feed built on sound nutrition isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do.
Feed with Purpose. Grow with Confidence.
At Kreamer Feed, we’re committed to providing broiler feed that balances speed, health, and ethics. We don’t believe in shortcuts. We believe in thoughtful formulations, quality ingredients, and supporting our partners with real expertise.
Whether you're feeding 50 birds or 50,000, we’ll help you choose a feeding plan that fits your goals and honors your values.
9 comments
Here are standard, exact nutrient figures for broiler starter, grower, and finisher feeds that support normal growth rates — based on widely accepted poultry nutrition guidelines used in commercial and small-scale production:
🐔 Broiler Feed Nutrient Targets (Typical Recommended Levels)
1) Starter Feed (0 – 10 days)
⭐ Crude Protein: 22 – 24% of feed
⭐ Metabolizable Energy: 3000 – 3050 kcal/kg (≈ 12.5 – 12.8 MJ/kg)
Calcium: ~ 0.9 – 1.0%
Available Phosphorus: ~ 0.45 – 0.50%
Key Amino Acids: Lysine ~ 1.2 – 1.4%, Methionine (plus Cystine) ~ 0.9 – 1.1% (digestible basis)
👉 High protein and energy help rapid muscle & organ development in early life.
2) Grower Feed (11 – 24 days)
Crude Protein: 20 – 22%
Metabolizable Energy: 3050 – 3150 kcal/kg
Calcium: ~ 0.8 – 0.9%
Available Phosphorus: ~ 0.42 – 0.45%
Key Amino Acids: Lysine ~ 1.1 – 1.25%, Methionine + Cystine ~ 0.8 – 0.97% (digestible)
👉 Slightly lower protein as broilers grow; energy stays relatively high for weight gain.
3) Finisher Feed (25 days to market)
Crude Protein: 18 – 20%
Metabolizable Energy: 3150 – 3200 kcal/kg
Calcium: ~ 0.75 – 0.85%
Available Phosphorus: ~ 0.38 – 0.45%
Amino Acids: Lysine ~ 0.9 – 1.0%, Methionine + Cystine ~ 0.75 – 0.85% (digestible)
👉 Lower protein reduces excessive fat, while energy supports final weight gain.
📌 Quick Summary Table
Feed Stage Crude Protein (%) Energy (kcal/kg) Calcium (%) Av. Phosphorus (%)
Starter 22–24 3000–3050 0.9–1.0 0.45–0.50
Grower 20–22 3050–3150 0.8–0.9 0.42–0.45
Finisher 18–20 3150–3200 0.75–0.85 0.38–0.45
Ranges may vary slightly by breed and region.
🥣 Recommended Feeding Periods
Starter: 0 – 10 days
Grower: 11 – 24 days
Finisher: 25 days until market (usually ~42 – 49 days)
📈 Why These Figures Matter
Feeding broilers according to these nutrient levels helps: ✔ Meet rapid growth targets (~2 kg in ~35–42 days)
✔ Maintain good feed conversion (low FCR)
✔ Support bone health, immunity, and meat quality
Please it’s my pleasure to glance on such an interesting topic as this one, for various reasons I have left my job to join the farming community and as it is my only interest and viable business to venture into. Therefore I need your assistance. Thank you.
Mujhe bhi contact farming karna hai mera jameen hai kya aap mujhe support karenge main Jamshedpur goradih gaon mein rahata Hun
How can you get profit if broiler chickens were keeped for six weeks and more? And can you help me about the ratio of mixing them
How can you get profit if broiler chickens were keeped for six weeks and more?
I want to start with 500birds how many kg of feeds can I have
I want to start with 500birds how many kg of feeds can I have
Thank you for the information. We would however prefer you to specify the real food items instead of saying proteins, minerals,fats. Also give us the quantities for the particularl age brackets. We appreciate your guidance on poultry farming, we look forward to hearing from you again
Hello! Grower feeds, it’s rare to come across because feed dealers do not have them. So we use pre- starter feed, starter feed and finisher feed. Is the finisher feed a grower feed? Because the birds adds up gradually. Thank you