Choosing feed for the autumn

As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FEED FOR YOUR BIRDS

Always remember that the feed bag label will tell you all you need to know about the nutritional content and ingredients of the feed. As keepers and consumers, it is important to know exactly what your birds are eating and what goes into your home produced eggs and meat. Not all feeds are of equal quality, and some may contain hidden extras you would rather avoid!

Your choice of feed should reflect the nutritional needs of your birds and your own views on important issues such as the use of genetically modified (GM) ingredients and the inclusion of artificial additives, growth promoters and drugs. The rare and traditional breeds of poultry favoured by most smallholders take longer to mature than hybrid birds and can very quickly become overweight on commercial feeds. Suitable feeds for rare and traditional breeds of poultry and any birds kept free range on smallholdings, will be lower in protein and energy than commercial poultry diets to support unforced egg production and promote slower, more natural growth rates, with the emphasis placed firmly on longevity of the birds and quality and flavour of the eggs and meat they produce.