[Stereo]

As our main business is hatching eggs, I don't mind spending a bit more on feed so usually feed the A+P Smallholders Layers Pellets. I've noticed that some folk feed specialist breeders pellets which I not are higher in fat, protein and fibre.

Can anyone tell me what the difference is and the effect on egg numbers and quality? I would much rather have less eggs of better quality as any small or mis-shapen ones just go on the gate for 20p each rather than £1-2 each for a nice hatchable one.

Wouldn't the higher protein encourage more laying though? Surely that could dilute the egg quality. My Welsummers are already turning out some paler eggs and to be honest I would rather they stopped altogether for the winter, built up their strength and gave me nice dark eggs next spring.

So what is the idea of breeders pellets as they don't seem any dearer?

[lord flynn]

scroll down to read a bit more here:


http://www.smallholder.co.uk/news/812921.feeds_the_differences_explained/


I only started using them last year for hatching-I certainly had excellent good fertility but not so great hatching rates but have put that down to humidity. I've recently put my laying hens on smallholders layers and orego stim -I was using Billingtons but kept finding bits of blue plastic in it    and I find the smaller sized pellets do better in the pheasant feeder. They've all gone through the moult very easily this year (except the boy, who never does) and are laying very well but I'll try the breeders pellets again end of November I expect.

[Marches Farmer]

My Welsummers are already turning out some paler eggs and to be honest I would rather they stopped altogether for the winter, built up their strength and gave me nice dark eggs next spring.

Your hens are either good layers or they're not.  They and the cockerel are either fertile or not.  I don't think it's something you can pick and choose the time of year about.

[Stereo]

Thanks for that. Fertility has been excellent. Very pleased with our boy.  Isn't it the case that some feeds can stimulate laying though? I always thought that was the case although I don't really know why.

I just figure it's better not to force animals, especially if quality is more important than quantity. I test fertility regularly and have found a correlation between depth of colour in the Welsummer eggs and fertility which indicates that when they can't put a good colour on it any more, it's also unlikely to be fertile. I was just wondering if giving them layers pellets as I do was pushing them to lay when really they would be better off focusing energy on re-feathering and maintaining health through the winter.

[Stereo]

scroll down to read a bit more here:


http://www.smallholder.co.uk/news/812921.feeds_the_differences_explained/


I only started using them last year for hatching-I certainly had excellent good fertility but not so great hatching rates but have put that down to humidity. I've recently put my laying hens on smallholders layers and orego stim -I was using Billingtons but kept finding bits of blue plastic in it    and I find the smaller sized pellets do better in the pheasant feeder. They've all gone through the moult very easily this year (except the boy, who never does) and are laying very well but I'll try the breeders pellets again end of November I expect.

Great link, thanks. It seems I need to get some breeders pellets instead of the layers.

[lord flynn]

laying is interesting, I don't think layers can encourage/induce laying-only support it. I think giving them extra protein through the moult is a god idea but most growers is not much higher in protein (if at all) than layers if you look at the bags. I don't run mine under lights either in winter as don't like the idea of 'forcing' them to lay either. However, thinking about it-birds on the equator would get 12 hour days and therefore presumably lay more consistently throughout the year-unlike ours in the Northern hemisphere.


It would be interesting ( cos I'm a nerd) to find out what fertility is like in an environment that doesn't have much in the way of seasons. Chickens after all are jungle fowl and from a more southern latitude than this. No matter what we breed them to look like, genetically they won't be far from jungle fowl. afaik brown eggs lose pigment over the laying season (so what happens to brown egg layers on the equator-do they never lay as brown an egg than those up here?), the shortening of days has a profound effect on animals so I'm not surprised that fertility is down this time of year. so what I'm saying is that the fertility and depth of colour in brown eggs is coincidental rather than causal.


from what I've seen on muscovy pages is that further south, they hatch and breed year round.

[chrismahon]

We mix layers and rearer pellets for breeding. Give them fresh veg or fruit and perhaps a shot of Cod Liver Oil with multi-vits just to help. Most important is to ensure they have all been Flubenvet wormed a week prior to collecting hatching eggs.


Lord Flynn, a local breeder here hatches all year. We have well over an hour more daylight mid- Winter than England. She feeds her chickens on a ground up mix which includes pig food, because that has the most protein for the money. What the percentage works out at I don't know, but the pellets we buy are 16% and I have read that over 15% is required for layers. So free ranging chickens are very dependent on the insect supply for their protein. I have noticed with our neighbour's chickens they are not laying much now because they only get corn and there are very few insects at the moment -too hot and dry.