Egg quality depends on good feed

Current feed prices for laying hens are over $550 a tonne as a result of poor grains harvests in much of Australia. It’s essential to provide chickens with top quality feed for anyone wanting to produce goods eggs and maintain bird health. The right feed and regular access to pasture will ensure peak laying and premium egg production. Diets need to be formulated for specific breeds.Formulations include: wheat, barley and corn, protein content may be soybean meal, canola, peas, lupins plus salt, bicarb, lime, Dicalcium Phosphatend other trace minerals. Lime grit size needs to be 2-4mms to be effective in the diet which should be a mash ration. Pelleted or crumbled diets are not beneficial for laying hens.

Quality eggs and size are all about nutrition and management

We are frequently asked why our eggs are so large as well as being tasty. The answer is simple, all hens start egg production laying Small eggs – around 40g or so and gradually increase to a mature egg grade size of Medium (60g) Large (80g) or bigger. They generally begin to lay 15 – 17 weeks after hatching With modern breeds, such as Isa Browns, most hens lay Large or Extra Large eggs by the time they are 40 weeks old. While there is a basic pattern of how egg size changes as hens age, feeding and management have a major impact on egg size. Management factors in controlling egg size include hen body weight. Larger eggs tend to be laid by larger hens weighing about 2 kg. Total access to quality pasture and a balanced ration of natural grains with a protein content of at least 17.5% will ensure good hen health, egg quality and size.