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Are your Farmgate Layers Pellets/Mash "vegetarian" diets and do they include GM soya beans or maize?
We do not make vegetarian claims for our layers feeds as we feel that this implies that other feeds are sub standard and in turn has a negative impact on the agricultural industry as a whole.
There are no mammalian protein meals included in the diets for the simple reason that legislation does not allow them to be used, as a company BOCM PAULS has not used poultry offal products for over 20 years. Economically fishmeal is not an attractive ingredient and in recognition of the preference of many customer we have chosen to exclude this ingredient from the diet specifications. Therefore the Farmgate Layers Pellets is effectively a "vegetarian" feed.
On the question of GM technology we have taken the view that we will only include soya products from beans grown in Brazil in the Farmgate rations, this is in acknowledgement of the fact that many of our customers for these feeds require assurances about the GM status. Since it remains illegal to plant GM soya beans in Brazil we regard this source of supply to be non GM (it is accepted practice in the USA where some 60% of the plantings are of GM origin). Maize grains from countries where GM maize is grown are not currently included in these diets either, however we may occasionally be able to include maize byproducts from the human food industries and in these instances the maize is sourced in the EU and is non GM.
We have been asked several times about declaring the GM origin of the raw materials used in our feeds. Unfortunately current feedingstuffs legislation is very clear about the way we have to set out the statutory statement on the ticket attached to bags or supplied with bulk feeds and this does not allow us to use any other descriptions for raw materials other than those given in the legislation.
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Do BOCM PAULS sell Organic Poultry Feed?
Yes, we have a range of Organic Layers diets. These 'Natures Option' Diets are manufactured at one of our Mills in the South. The Mill is Registered with the Organic Farmers and Growers Association.
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If fishmeal is banned for cattle, can I still have it in my poultry feed?
Yes, BOCM PAULS were the first company to introduce species specific mills, to prevent any possible contamination between ruminant and monogastric (pig and poultry) ingredients. Therefore, we can continue to use fishmeal in our pig and poultry mills even if the new legislation prevents it from being used in ruminant mills.
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Is Meat and Bone Meal included in the Poultry Rations that I buy?
No, all mammalian protein meals and bone meals were withdrawn from use in animal feed in the United Kingdom in 1996.
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I have got some turkey feed left over, can I feed it to any other animals on my farm?
This depends upon which product it is and what, if any, additives are included in it. We recommend that you contact either your Account Manager, or our Sales Support Desk on 08457 228853, so that the situation can be discussed in more detail.
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I have 2 bags of Broiler Finisher left, can I feed it to my Turkeys?
No, the Broiler Finisher may have a coccidiostat present which is not suitable for Turkeys.
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Can I feed any excess poultry feed to other types of poultry or other animals on the farm?
BOCM PAULS LTD would not recommend that excess feed is fed to other poultry or any other type of animal on a farm other than the one for which it was intended. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly diets are formulated to provide particular nutritional requirements for different species and age of bird, and may not allow other animals to grow or produce as expected. Secondly, diets incorporating coccidiostats and/or digestive enhancers are legally allowed to be fed only to specific groups, and may in fact cause problems if given to other animals.
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What can I feed my day old Goslings? and what feed will I need to follow on?
Feed Plain Chick Starter Crumbs to 4 weeks, followed by Poultry Finisher Pellets or Turkey Withdrawal Pellets.
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What is the difference between a chicken, a broiler and a poussin?
A chicken is a generic name referring to domesticated descendants of the jungle fowl of South-East Asia. During the course of history, chickens have spread throughout the world, and evolved into many different forms as a result of domestication. There are many specialist breeds of chickens, but the terms broiler and poussin refer to the more commercial varieties. A broiler is a meat-producing bird grown till 5-8 weeks of age and weighing about 2.5 kilograms. A poussin is a small tender broiler grown to about 3 weeks of age.
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How much feed will my bantam hens each need per day?
This is a good question! It depends upon many factors such as age, breed, temperature, level of production and type of housing. Since the diversity of breeds is so wide it is virtually impossible to provide a figure which will be universally applicable. A good start in establishing how much to feed, is to give a known quantity, if it is cleared up completely in 2 hours offer a further quantity. It is recommended to feed twice per day and to give quantities that are consumed completely within 2 hours. If it takes longer then feed is being wasted and vermin may become a problem.
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Q.What is a spatchcock?
A.This is a traditional method of preparing chicken, where the backbone is removed helping the bird to be cooked more evenly.
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Q.Are broilers kept in cages and if not, how are they kept?
A.It seems to be a popular misconception that broilers are reared in cages. Broilers in the UK are generally reared on the floor of a purpose built shed from day old, on a comfortable bedding of shavings or something similar. The birds are kept warm and have good access to clean water and feed throughout their lives.
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Q.What is the best way to look after young chickens and turkeys for the first few days after hatching?
A.The methods of looking after either chicks or poults (baby turkeys) during the first few days follow the same basic principles of good management: providing easy access to water, making sure feed is freely available in a crumb or crumble form, the provision of warmth (but not too much warmth), and vigilance in terms of checking bird behaviour several times a day. Chicks and poults do however have their differences in terms of dietary requirements and management. If you have not kept birds before and are planning to start up, you need to have either an experienced person overseeing what you are doing or to have done a poultry keeping course. Correct management and feeding during the first few days are vital to ensure the well being of the bird throughout its life.
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Q.What are typical weights for age of broilers that I should be aiming for and the food conversion that I can expect?
A.The weight of broiler you should achieve will depend on the needs of your customer, the processor and whether you are a small or large producer. The company's Account Managers are trained to give you excellent advice on which combination of the BOCM PAULS range of diets are suitable for your own particular targets.
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