Wheatfeed is made in the Heygates flour mills which are on the same site as the feed mill at Bugbrooke. When white flour is produced the highly nutritious outer layers of the wheat become wheatfeed. When the flour millers make wheatfeed to use in layers feeds they include the wheatgerm so your feed is full of wheatgerm goodness.
HIGH PROTEIN SOYA BEAN MEAL
Oil is extracted from soya beans for industrial purposes and the remaining meal is a high protein animal feed. Soya Bean Meal is one of the best quality protein sources since it contains more of the essential amino acids than other cheaper alternatives.
CALCIUM CARBONATE
This is simply a natural ground chalk product which provides essential calcium for strong eggshells.
MAIZE GERM MEAL
After Maize oil is extracted from maize germ (for use in human foods such as margerine) the remaining meal is a valuable source of protein and energy for use in animal feeds.
SUNFLOWER SEED EXTRACT
Sunflowers are grown to produce cooking oil. After most of the oil has been extracted the rest of the seed provides a highly nutritious animal feed.
VEGETABLE OIL
A pure vegetable oil is added as a source of energy. In the layers meal it also helps to ensure that the product is not too dusty by absorbing any very small floury ingredients.
DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE
Dicalcium phosphate is made from rock phosphate and is a source of the essential mineral phosphorus.
SALT
Salt is added where necessary to balance the sodium content in the feed.
SODIUM BICARBONATE
Sodium bicarbonate (just the same as baking powder!) is another source of digestible sodium which is essential for a healthy bird.
METHIONINE
Methionine is an essential amino acid.
Amino acids are often referred to as “the building blocks of protein”.
You will probably have heard of methionine as a human food supplement and it is even more important in poultry nutrition. Methionine is associated with the bird’s ability to metabolise energy and directly affects egg quantity and size. In large commercial layers units it is one of the nutrients that can be varied through the life of the flock to optimise production.
Methionine occurs naturally at high levels in certain vegetables and seeds and Heygates carefully monitor the formulations of their layers diets to make sure that the levels are correct.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
The Heygates team of poultry nutritionists constantly monitor the raw materials being used and add a vitamin and mineral supplement to make sure that all the bird's requirements are met.
The target levels for the key nutrients are:
Vitamin A: 7500 iu per kg
Vitamin D3: 3000 iu per kg
Vitamin E 20 mg per kg
Copper: 15 mg per kg
YOLK PIGMENTERS
The yolk colouring pigments added to Country Layers are Citrazanaxathin which occurs naturally in the skins of oranges and Lutein and Zeaxanthin which are produced from marigold petals.