Mill and Mix

In 2005 with the help of EAGGF funding we installed a hi-tech mill and mix plant to process our own home produced cereals. The mill is the latest disc mill design and uses a third of the energy of the normal hammer type mill. The milling process is computer controlled to give very accurate and consistent rations. Each component of the ration is milled and then weighed into a 1.5 tonne mixing chamber, which stirs the components up evenly, before it is emptied into a 'transfer' bin, and transported by the farm's telehandler to the chicken houses.

The average hens ration is 50% wheat, 15% oats, 5% beans, all produced on the farm. We then add in 10% granular limestone (for the hen to make the egg shell), 16% non-GM soya bean meal (for protein), 1.5% minerals and 2.5% soya oil. The ration changes through the life of the hen, as she needs a higher protein ration when she first arrives on the farm to continue growing to an adult hen, then as she begins laying she needs extra energy to produce an egg nearly every day. Later on when she has stopped growing and lays less eggs, the protein and energy is cut back so the hen doesn't get fat (if she gets fat she won't lay eggs).

Because we produce our own feed for the hens, on the farm, we have drastically reduced the food miles of our eggs. Previously nearly all our cereals were sold up country (at least to Plymouth), which involves road miles out of the county. Then we were purchasing our hen feed from one of the nearest milling company's in Crediton, Devon, then more road miles back to Cornhill farm. In addition to this, we were not getting the benifit of our own high quality cereal grain.

Using the grain off Cornhill Farm as the basis for the hens' ration means the hens get the benifit of our high quality grain. This we believe is part of the reason the eggs from our hens taste so good.