Description
Product Feeding Guidelines
For Replacement Laying birds – feed ad-lib from day old to approx 5/6 weeks of age. Hybrid laying strains will eat approx 1kg over this period. For Table poultry – feed from day old to 3 wks of age on an ad-lib basis.
Protein 18%
For Replacement Laying birds follow on with Farmgate Rearer Pellet ACS up until approx 16 wks of age then introduce either Farmgate Layers Pellets / Mash or Farmgate Super Omega Mash at least a week before the first egg. For Table poultry follow on with Farmgate Rearer Pellets ACS through to 9/10 wks of age then move onto Farmgate Chicken Finisher ACS on an ad-lib basis. Feed Farmgate Chicken Finisher ACS from approx 10 wks until 7 days prior to slaughter. Farmgate Poultry Finisher Plain should then be fed as a withdrawal ration for at least 7 days prior to slaughter.
Fresh feed and clean water should be replenished on a daily basis. Feed should be kept in a cool, dry place. Utensils and hoppers should be kept clean.
Feeding your Poultry
Chickens will enjoy a mixed diet: feedstuffs should contain all the necessary protein, vitamins and minerals and left to their own devices they will scratch for seeds, berries, worms and grubs. They also enjoy mixed corn, oats, grain, sunflower seeds and barley to name but a few. These are usually fed as a scratch treat during afternoons and should not be confused with a main diet.
If you are keeping birds for egg production a good feeding regime is imperative, so that you are getting the correct amount of good quality protein; vitamins; minerals etc. Lack of certain nutrients can effect egg production, shell quality and even the bird’s health.
Poultry feed comes in various forms; pellets, mash and crumbs that are used mainly to feeding chicks.
There are many types of containers that can be made suitable for use as a feeder. Plastic drinkers and feeders work perfectly fine for indoor use and are reasonably priced. One with some weight in will work better as it won’t tip over.
Commercial feeders will also not tip up and also release a steady supply of feed without waste.
Galvanised feeders are hardwearing and durable, they will be unaffected by sunlight and resistant to strong winds.
The various stages at which you should feed your birds are as follows:
| AGE OF BIRDS | PRODUCT | FEED INTAKE |
| Replacement Laying Birds | ||
| Day old – 6 weeks | Farmgate Chick Crumbs ACS | Ad lib / approx 1kg / bird |
| 6 – 17 weeks (point of lay) | Farmgate Rearer Pellets ACS | Ad lib / approx 5kg / bird |
| Point of Lay | Farmgate Layers Pellets / Mash | Ad lib or 1kg / bird / week |
| Table Birds | ||
| Day old – 3 weeks | Farmgate Chick Crumbs ACS | Ad lib / approx 1.2kg / bird |
| 3 – 9 weeks | Farmgate Rearer Pellets ACS | Ad lib / approx 7kg / bird |
| From 9 weeks to slaughter | Farmgate Chicken Finisher Pellets ACS | Ad lib |
| Birds prior to slaughter | Farmgate Poultry Finisher Pellets Plain (7 day withdrawal diet) |
Ad lib / 1 week before slaughter |
| Farmgate Mixed Poultry Corn | As an afternoon scratch or treat | |
Note: when feeding birds in numbers, just because there is food available, doesn’t necessarily mean each bird its getting its daily requirement. Some birds are meeker than others and remember the “pecking order”, you may find that others are being greedy and some going without.
Insoluble grit is a very useful aid in a laying hens digestive system, and can also be of benefit to young pullets. You should supply an appropriate quantity of insoluble grit to birds from approximately 3 weeks of age.
Please note: Farmgate Layers feeds do not require any additional limestone or oyster shell grit. The diet is fully balanced for optimum egg production, consistent shell quality, good yolk colour and excellent egg size.
| AGE OF BIRD | QTY OF GRIT |
| Chicks (3 weeks old) | 1g / bird once a week with food |
| Pullets (6-11 weeks old) | 2g / bird once a week with food |
| Pullets (11 weeks to point of lay) | 4-5g / bird once a week with food |
| Laying Hens (throughout lay) | 28g / bird / month sprinkled with food |
Please note: the proportion of the nutrient in the diet, is irrelevant unless you are getting the right feed intake into each bird. Listed below are a list of vital nutrients and their requirement.
| NUTRIENT | FUNCTION |
| Carbohydrates, Fats & Oils | Energy |
| Protiens | Growth, Repair & Body Building |
| Vitamin A | Normal growth, disease resistance |
| Vitamin B | Optimum growth rate & production |
| Vitamin D | Strong eggshell, healthy growth, rickets prevention |
| Calcium & Phospherous | Healthy bones & Strong shells |
| Zinc | Healthy skin & feather development |
Water, water, water…………….. drinkers should be filled with fresh water daily and cleaned thoroughly. Bugs and germs can quickly develop in unwashed, dirty drinkers, causing no end of problems.
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