Meat bird finisher feed ?

[kyleag]

This is my first run of meat birds and I was wondering what you all use for a finisher. In the area I live they do not sell a "meat bird finisher" feed. I have read that you can use a laying feed crumble as long as it has a lower protein level. As of now I am using a 21% protein meat feed but am needing to switch to a finisher. Any suggestion?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you can't find finisher (15%), you can use a 18% grower and supplement with scratch grains to lower the overall protein.

3 parts grain to 4 parts grower would get you to 15%. Fermenting or wetting the mix will prevent them from picking out just the goodies.
They'll likely only be on the feed for a couple weeks so shouldn't create any nutritional problems.

 

[kyleag]

I found a 16% that I started using as well as giving them a lil extra scratch.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That should work fine.
You don't even have to go to a finisher feed. A grower feed is fine till 10 weeks and I always butcher most meat birds long before that.