Choosing the Right Feed for Your Meat Birds
Words By: North 40 Outfitters
Categories: Learn, Farm & Ranch, How to Raise Chickens
Tags: taking care of meat birds, Raising Meat Birds, raising Cornish cross, raising chickens, meat bird feeds, Learning about meat birds, how to raise meat chickens, how much protein does a meat bird need, homesteading, free range meat birds, free range birds, feeding meat birds, farm to table, Cornish Cross, chickens, chicken lessons, broiler chickens 8-9 weeks, broiler chickens
Posted: May 28, 2026

Tanya works in our Wellness Department here at North 40, but most of what she knows about raising meat birds comes from home. She and her husband, Adam, have been building their homestead for years, and choosing the right feed has always been a big part of that. Knowing exactly where her food comes from matters to her, and she’s tried enough brands and protein levels to know what actually works. Here’s her take on picking the right starter feed for meat birds.

Starter Feeds We Trust for Meat Birds

If you’re raising meat birds this year, the first big thing to figure out is feed. There are a lot of brands out there, and they all have their own thing going on, but what really matters with a starter or grower feed is the protein content. You want something in the 18 to 19 percent range at minimum. That’s going to give your chicks what they need to grow strong and steady right from the beginning.

Meat bird chicks eating in a brooder out of a gutter feeder. Meat bird chicks eating in a brooder out of a gutter feeder.

Some feeds go even higher than that. Country Companion, for example, comes in at 22 percent protein, and it’s a solid feed. That extra protein can help put a little more size on your meat birds a bit quicker.

Pouring Country Companion Meat Bird feed into feeder.Pouring Country Companion Meat Bird feed into feeder.

I personally feed Eden Feeds. I like that it’s non‑GMO, and it’s not a crumble. Most of the other feeds are crumbles, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Chicks do really well on crumble. Eden Feeds is more of a cracked grain, and I just prefer that whole‑grain to cracked‑grain feel for my birds. That’s just me.

But we’ve definitely used Nature Smart and Nature Wise in a pinch, and my birds love it. It works just as well if you want that organic feed in crumble form. Both are organic feeds and easy for young birds to eat. 

Pouring Nature Wise Meatbird Start to Finish crumble into feeder.Pouring Nature Wise Meatbird Start to Finish crumble into feeder.

Purina is another good option if you’re not concerned about organic or non‑GMO. It sits right at 18 percent protein, which is perfectly fine for meat birds. It’ll get the job done without any issues.

So really, it comes down to what you want for your birds and what matters to you. If you want organic and non‑GMO, Eden Feeds is great. If you want something with a little more protein behind it, Country Companion is going to give you that. And if you just want a dependable crumble that your flock will eat without fuss, Nature Smart, Nature Wise, and Purina are all solid choices.

Picking feed for meat birds doesn’t have to be complicated. Look for a starter or grower with at least 18 to 19 percent protein, and choose the style that fits what you want for your flock. Crumbles work great, cracked grain works great, organic works great, and conventional works great. Higher protein, like the 22 percent in Country Companion, can help birds bulk up a little faster, while brands like Eden Feeds offer non-GMO options if that’s important to you. No matter which one you choose, the goal is the same: give your birds a strong start so they grow healthy and steady all the way through.