Feeding your hens for healthy eggs.

Eggs are the ideal food, naturally nutritious with a range of essential vitamins and trace minerals. But, levels of these essential nutrients in eggs can and do vary with the amount of different and essential nutrients in the hen’s diet. Recognising the importance of these essential trace elements and vitamins, NRM Peck ‘n Lay ration contains a comprehensive vitamin and trace mineral pre-mix designed to provide optimum levels of essential nutrients.

While vitamins may be present in some of the feeds consumed by free-ranging poultry, there is considerable variation in the amount available to the bird due to inherent variation in levels in plants. Feeding a quality, balanced feed like NRM Peck ‘n Lay helps ensure birds obtain all the necessary vitamins to help support health and wellbeing, as well as egg production.

Eggs also contain large amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants which play a role in limiting the degenerative processes that cause our eyesight to deteriorate as we age. The use of natural pigments extracted from marigolds and paprika in NRM Peck ‘n Lay provide a rich source of both lutein and zeaxanthin, ensuring that hens produce eggs with rich, golden yolks high in both of these essential antioxidants.

Regardless of the quality and quantity of nutrients provided in the feed, the amount of those nutrients that a hen can absorb will be limited if she has poor gut health. Many factors can affect gut health in poultry, from the presence of pathogens such as worms, to antinutritional factors such as complex carbohydrates that are difficult for poultry to digest. Complex carbohydrates are found in feeds such as wheat and barley. Manufactured from high quality ingredients, NRM Peck ‘n Lay contains specially selected enzymes that help to increase the digestibility of the feed, and added organic acids and essential oils to help support gut health.

For more information, visit www.NRM.co.nz