The Relative Merits of Pellets and Mash for Laying Stock

INTRODUCTION POULTRY foods made up in the form of pellets have been sold in Great Britain for over 30 years, and the use of pelleted laying rations has been common since about 1945. Pellets have some advantage in being more convenient to handle than a mash and it is often suggested that less food is wasted when pellets are fed. Birds can generally eat more pellets than mash in a given time and this may be an advantage in some circumstances although it sometimes leads to extravagant consumption of food. Pellets are usually more expensive to buy than a mash compounded to the same formula. A complete economic analysis can only be made when it is known to what extent the performance of laying birds is affected by the form in which their food is presented. A review of the literature shows that, where a direct comparison has been made . . .