The onset of the breeding period is one of the most critical phases in the game calendar. It is also potentially one of the most stressful times in the bird’s life.

It has been demonstrated many times that a well nourished breeding bird performs well and helps in the process of vertical transmission of nutrients from the breeder to the young poult via the hatching egg.

The breeder hen

We are looking for a breeder hen with good body condition and conformation, in terms of muscle development and fat deposition.

Pre-Breeder pellets contain all of the essential nutrients to condition the hen and cock in preparation for the breeding season, making it a vital part of the Marsdens range.

Pheasant Breeder pellets along with Partridge is designed to consistently produce the very best in egg numbers, fertility and hatchability.

The Marsdens feed philosophy is to manufacture diets with higher protein and energy levels as compared with many of its competitors and as a result the feeds produce stronger, healthy and well feathered poults.

The Starter feed regime consists of:

• Super Fine Crumb
• Fine Crumb
• Coarse Crumb
• Mini-Pellet

All the feeds are highly nutritious; the objective to produce excellent sized poults with many game farmers endorsing this high protein feed strategy.

Marsdens Early Grower - a 24% protein product designed to follow the Starter diet when feeding poults in the rearing field. With this in mind, the use of fishmeal is of prime importance. As birds are moved to the wood, the continued use of Early Grower will ensure continual strong growth of the poults when they are at a vulnerable time.

• Pellets - 3.5mm form for pheasants and 2.5mm form ("Superlink") the preferred ‘one feed’ solution for use when the majority of birds being fed are partridges rather than pheasants.
• Mini-Pellets - 2mm mini-pellet form for partridges.

Grower pellet - As an alternative to the two-stage feed regime for pheasants, Marsdens produce Grower Pellets at 21%, this being a one-stage feed regime for pheasants at ‘wood’.

Covert Release pellet - Following the first 2½ weeks of Early Grower, the birds should move on to a Covert Release Pellet. The Covert Release is a highly palatable feed containing aniseed, which by design helps to prevent birds from straying.

Where the preferred option is to feed a 2.5mm pellet in the early stages this philosophy is extended by feeding a Game Rearer 2.5 followed by a Game Grower 2.5.