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When choosing a layers feed for your
birds, remember that not all feeds are the same. If you are eating
the eggs yourself or giving them to friends and family, it is worth
double-checking on the quality of ingredients.
Poultry that are free ranging have the advantage of being able
to scratch about looking for food, including insects, seeds and
young green shoots. These all contribute to a healthy diet, but
are not a replacement for a balanced good quality complete feed.
This is essential to make sure that your birds get sufficient protein,
vitamins and minerals to meet their requirements.
I t
is possible to produce cheap layers feeds, but these would often
include Hipro Soya – this has been processed using hexane
- a potentially carcinogenic distilled petrol product – to
extract the soya oil from it. When used, residues of hexane are
left in the oil, causing a bitter smell and because the oil is heated
more than once during the process, the quality is much diminished.
SMALLHOLDER FEEDS ONLY INCLUDE NON-GM, NON-solvent
extracted SOYA, rather than any of the cheaper alternatives
such as High Protein Soya or Brazilian Soya.
 The
type of oil included in a layers feed can also make a huge difference
to the quality of the egg and the health of your birds. SMALLHOLDER
FEEDS ONLY USE A VIRGIN PRESSED SOYA & LINSEED OIL –
again not extracted using the solvent hexane – and the soya
oil is from NON-GM soya. This is preferable to the blended vegetable
oils or mixed fats used as a cheaper alternative. Linseed and soya
oil provide a combination of Omega 6 and Omega 3 oils, which not
only ensures a healthier bird, but also a better egg. Similar oils
are used by producers of ‘healthier eggs’ which have
been shown to lower cholesterol in humans.
ALL OUR FEEDS are drug-free, with no artificial
or nature identiccal flavours or yolk pigmenters. No growtth promoters,
biotics, coccidiostats, yolk pigmantimenters or other medicinal
additives are used in these feeds or in any feeds produced in our
Drug-Free mill.
 Binders
in the form of by-products from the wood, paper and hardboard
manufacturing industry are often used to make a more durable
pellet. Smallholder Feeds do not believe in such practices,
or in the use of  artificial
yolk pigmenters. GRASS, NON-GM
MAIZE, AND REAL GROUND MARIGOLD GIVE A RICH YELLOW COLOUR TO
THE YOLK as opposed to cheaper ‘nature
identical’ products or solvent extracted marigold. |
 A
special blend of vitamins and minerals are included in Smallholder’s
Natural Free Range Layers Pellets, targeted specifically to
meet the needs of laying hens - providing everything required
for a healthy bird and good quality egg.
The vegetarian status of this feed is not compromised by
the common practice of coating the vitamins with pork gelatine,
or by the use of fishmeal. To quote
the Vegetarian Society: ‘SUITABLE
FOR VEGETARIANS?– PROBABLY NOT IF IT ISN’T VEGETARIAN
SOCIETY APPROVED |
| From point of lay (18-20 weeks onwards) birds
that are being kept for their eggs should be fed a good
quality layers pellet such as Smallholder Natural Free
Range Layers Pellets. These should be provided on an ad
lib basis (so the birds can eat as much as they want)
and put in a feeder or trough to avoid excess wastage.
Feeding these pellets will provide the birds with essential
protein, vitamins and minerals (particularly calcium)
necessary to produce eggs on a regular basis. Pullets
that have not yet come into lay and hens that are not
laying because they are going through a moult should still
be fed Natural Free Range Layers Pellets. |
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