The cancellation and suspension of the 2020 shooting season as a result of the pandemic affected the economics of all game rearers.  Now the focus has to be on careful preparation for a successful 2021 season according to Myles Jones, Game Feeds Specialist with Harpers Feeds.

Myles says for many businesses the truncated season was the worst possible outcome having incurred the cost and effort of rearing and releasing the birds and then being unable to shoot them.

The short season means that we are now seeing an increased demand for game shooting with many commercial shoots being fully booked already for the coming season. However, it is the game rearers that have come under pressure recently with last minute shortages of gas supply and the increasing costs of rearing equipment and materials, all of which add to the costs of rearing poults.

Harpers County Game Feeds are formulated to meet the specific nutritional requirements of all ages of game birds. Only the highest quality raw materials are used, including locally sourced cereals and highly digestible proteins that provide a complete range of high energy rations that aim to achieve the best possible growth and performance.

With the price of numerous feed materials at an all time high it would be easy to make change to formulations to cut costs. Here at Harpers Feeds we work to the highest specification and a fixed formulation that gives customers peace of mind that performance will not be compromised in order to save costs.

Reducing antibiotic use

The other challenge that has to be addressed is reducing the use of antibiotics in game rearing.  To help reduce the reliance on antibiotics, it is important to keep birds healthy and to help them develop and maintain a robust immune system and a stable gut.

Our County Game ABC feed range has been uniquely developed by dedicated game bird vets and people experienced in working with game birds.  ABC stands for Applied Bacterial Control and is a based on the principle of management practices to allow a reduction in antibiotic use, including precisely formulated feeds.

County Game ABC Feeds include more insoluble fibre to mimic the bird’s natural diet.  They support health and development by containing balanced amino acids to improve protein utilisation. The use of probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria, strengthen the immune system and aid the development of a healthy gut. Finally, carefully selected essential oils help birds fight infection without the reliance on antibiotics.

Trials with over 15,000 birds show that using County Game ABC feeds to help keep birds healthier, leads to reduced mortality, increased growth rates and a reduction in total feed costs per birds. Together these will improve the number of birds released and increase potential profits.

Despite the implications of last season or because of them, it will be important to get this season off to the best start, releasing the optimum number of healthy birds. The key to this will be careful formulation of your feeding programme over the crucial rear and release programme. We will be happy to help you review your programme to increase your success this year.

For further information, go to: Harpers Feeds