A bright yellow yolk from a freshly laid egg is a key benefit of home produced eggs. However, packaging is important for the perception of quality and egg shell quality is one issue that sometimes crops up with laying flocks – especially in the spring as birds come back into lay. When a flock has […]

Have you ever wondered why birds in the wild only lay eggs in the spring and early summer and then cease laying as winter approaches? This is all due to day-length or hours of daylight, as well as changes in light intensity. Birds that hatch in the spring require a shortening day-length approaching winter and […]

All animal species need a balanced diet for health, welfare and productivity but what constitutes a balanced diet changes as an animal grows, matures and goes through different physiological stages. For example, egg-laying chicken breeds require high levels of protein and energy as chicks. As the pullet grows, the optimum amount of energy and protein […]