Andrew Fothergill, national poultry adviser at Marsdens, offers his advice on how nutrition can give your breeding flock the best possible start, maximise fertility and increase egg production.
With poults potentially scarce and costly once again next year, now more than ever it pays to have a plan to get the most from your existing stock by overwintering.
With budgets stretched after a year of soaring pheasant feed and energy costs, many will default to feeding wheat as a form of subsistence, simply to maintain birds during the overwintering period. But, by viewing overwintering as a period of dormancy for birds we run the risk of not maximising on the potential of breeding birds.
For the best breeding results, overwintered game birds need to be in prime condition - healthy, lean and well-feathered - as we move into the spring, and able to consume a rising plane of nutrition. If birds are either too thin or too fat, their fertility will be compromised. This applies to both hen and cock birds.
When overwintering gamebirds, the right nutrition can help the bird keep reserves of key minerals and micronutrients, in readiness of the breeding season.
Contact your local specialist for advice and how we can help your business this season.
