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How to Choose the Right Feed for Broilers and Layers

Tosed Farms

Sep 08, 2026

Feed is the single biggest cost on a poultry farm, and it is also the input that decides how well your birds grow or lay. Giving the right feed at the right stage is the simplest way to protect both your birds and your margin.

Broilers and layers are fed differently

Broilers are raised for meat and are expected to reach market weight in a matter of weeks, so their feed is dense in protein and energy. Layers are raised to produce eggs over a long period, so their feed is built around steady growth first and shell quality later. Using one feed for both is a common and expensive mistake.

Feeding broilers

• Broiler starter is given from day one for roughly the first three to four weeks. It carries the highest protein level to support rapid early growth.
• Broiler finisher takes over from about four weeks until sale. It has slightly less protein and more energy to finish the birds efficiently.

Feeding layers

• Chick mash is fed for about the first eight weeks.
• Grower mash follows until the pullets approach point of lay, usually around eighteen weeks. It is deliberately lower in protein and calcium so the birds develop a strong frame without getting fat.
• Layer mash starts as the first eggs appear. Its extra calcium is what keeps shells strong.

Never give layer mash to young chicks. The calcium level that is right for a laying hen is far too high for a growing bird.

Change feeds gradually

When you move from one stage to the next, mix the old and new feed over three to five days. A sudden change can put birds off their feed and set growth back.

Do not forget water

Birds drink about twice as much as they eat. If clean, cool water runs out, feed intake drops straight away, and no feed can make up for that.

Not sure which feed suits your flock? Tell us the type and age of your birds and our team will point you to the right option from the brands we stock.