Marsdens Game Feeds

Nutritional excellence... from a name you can trust!

About Marsdens


Marsdens is the UK’s leading brand of Game feeds. For over 60 years now Marsdens has been designing, manufacturing and distributing the country’s favourite range of Game feeds.

Duncan Marsden (pictured) has been involved in the Game industry for many decades. Duncan, a keen shot, has been carrying a gun since the age of six starting with a garden gun and progressing to a 12 bore at the age of 17. Duncan would travel many miles on his bike in the early days in the pursuit of rabbits and to observe wild fowl in the Salway Firth.

Marsdens has been involved in the animal feed business for over a century, starting up in Leyland, Lancs. Duncan’s father joined the family business in 1931 when the company’s name was changed to T Marsden & Son. Duncan took over the running of the business in 1954 following the death of his father.

Focus on Quality Feed

It was in the late 1950s that Duncan began to produce pheasant feeds for his own use. News of the new brand of game feeds spread fast throughout the region. A key focus in the early days was feed quality and this remains undiminished to the present day.

Sales grew fast and Marsdens soon became widely recognised as the country’s quality standard.

Changing Times

In 1986 Duncan Marsden sold his business to BOCM Silcock, which in turn became BOCM PAULS in 1992 following the merger with Pauls Agriculture.

Mindful of the rich heritage of the Marsdens brand encompassing the philosophy of nutritional innovation BOCM PAULS invested heavily in its Game feeds activity, focussing on quality ingredients, gut health and helping to prepare a bird that is fit and well feathered.

Over the years the Marsdens brand has evolved and moved with the times yet retained its core values of quality and nutritional innovation. Whilst company names change regularly the Marsdens brand has been retained, demonstrating a long term commitment to building and manufacturing the country’s No 1 Game feed.

In 2014 Marsdens celebrated its 60th anniversary with plans in place to ensure the Marsdens brand continues to grow and develop for the next phase of its evolution under the new ownership of Europe’s biggest total feed business, ForFarmers.

Why should I buy Marsdens?

• It is a Company with a proven record• Adopts careful selection of quality feed ingredients• Maintains stringent formulations• Incorporates a sound health performance package• High nutritional value feeds• World class manufacturing facilities• Excellent technical support• Excellent delivery service• Excellent reputation

Simon EvansDirector, Speciality Feeds

MARSDENSMARSDENS

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AM E F E E D

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1954

60 YEARS

Quality Raw Materials


The basis of any quality feed is the quality of raw materials. Marsdens buyers and nutritionists work in tandem to ensure only the best quality raw materials are sourced for our Game feed range.

Raw materials are natural substances and can vary in their nutritional content and contribution to a finished feed.

However, there are a number of interventions Marsdens nutritionists take to reduce variability to an absolute minimum to ensure the finished product is as consistent as it possibly can be.

This approach can be illustrated when considering the selection process used for Fishmeal. Fishmeal can be a variable raw material but it is also of significant value if sourced and used correctly. The fishmeal used in Marsdens is carefully tested and vetted for its nutritional content before it is used in our formulation. The aim as always is to maximise the nutritional integrity of the feeds and this is particularly important in the Starter and Early Grower feeds within the Marsdens range.

Fishmeal has been and remains a key part in the formulation of the Marsdens range. Fishmeal is a rich source of key amino acids to building blocks of protein. All our diets are designed to meet an exacting standard and not to achieve a certain pricing point.

The core nutritional philosophy of Marsdens as the country’s market leader is supported by a network of manufacturing locations in the key Game rearing heartlands of the country.

Nutritional Innovation

Over the years Marsdens nutritionists have designed some of the country’s most innovative and practically sound additives to the Game feed range.

Game feeds play a significant part in helping to produce consistently strong and healthy birds. Our STIMMULATE concept of microbial management remains the country’s leading gut health facilitator. STIMMULATE active plus includes a nutritional package which works individually and in synergy with each other to help create fit, healthy and active birds. STIMMULATE active plus contains:

• Essential oils known to have a positive effect on digestion and intestinal health

• Organic acids – provides further intestinal support• Betaine – provides key nutritional building blocks and

support to the birds natural immune system

STIMMULATE activ plus is included as standard across the Marsdens range of feeds.

The components of Stimmulate Activ provide intestinal support to maximise nutrient digestibility and utilisation by the bird, whilst helping to maintain intestinal integrity and immunity – the gut being the first line of defence against potential pathogens in many instances.

• Functional Fibres• Essential 0ils• Enzymes• Organic Acids• Betaine

There is increasing pressure to reduce the amount of medication used to rear birds, so alongside examining management practices, researchers have focused on the development of nutritional strategies that minimise the risk of digestive upsets and support stressed and disease challenged birds.

At the start of any new season it is advisable to contact your Veterinary Surgeon to arrange a joint meeting in preparation.If at any time birds become unwell, the Veterinary Surgeon responsible must be contacted immediately. If any course of treatment is required the Veterinary surgeon CAN ONLY ADVISE a medication Strategy!If in feed medication is required, this can only be prescribed by the Veterinary Surgeon responsible, if required, please allow 5 working days’ delivery notice for any special mix requirement!

Manufacturingand Distribution


As has been mentioned earlier, our aim is to manufacture and deliver consistent quality standards to our customers at all times.

We do this through careful selection and testing of raw materials we use and designing feeds that help to produce fit, healthy well featured birds.

The next key elements in the process are manufacturing and distribution.

Manufacturing

Marsdens feeds are manufactured in the country’s most modern mills which have had considerable investment in recent years to ensure they produce feeds to the consistency and quality we stipulate.

Feed manufacturing is not a new process but equally the standards required to produce a consistently superior mini crumb, crumb, mini pellet or normal sized pellet continue to evolve. Legislative changes and auditing requirements have transformed the manufacturing process in recent years.

Great care and attention is given to the accurate weighing of ingredients, precise grinding procedures and efficient pelleting control are all critical control points within the manufacturing process. Each part of the process controls maximising the potential to create a consistent product.

Quality Standards

Quality systems such as ISO9002 and the AIC Feed Assurance Scheme are designed to ensure the process of feed manufacture is kept under strict control. Regular calibration of essential equipment and the use of documented, audited processes ensures Marsdens Game Feeds comply with all UK and EU feeding stuffs manufacturing regulations and legislation.At Marsdens we pride ourselves on producing the very best, most consistent feed quality in the country.

Distribution

ForFarmers operates a fleet of vehicles that meet customer requirements from rigid 6 and 8 wheelers to articulated lorries.

All our bagged feed lorries have mounted forklifts which allow for quick and easy offloading. This also allows us to present our product range in pristine condition, shrink wrapped for security and safety.

Working alongside the Logistics team, our Customer Service Department is a highly skilled and experienced team dedicated to providing the very best service and support to our customer. Our core objective is “Customer First”.

The Customer Service team also handles any customer complaints or concerns and ensures these occurrences are investigated promptly and effectively.

The Breeding PhaseThe key to Successful Game Rearing


The onset of the breeding period is one, if not the most critical phases in the game calendar. It is also one of the potentially most stressful in the birds life.

It has been demonstrated many times that a well nourished breeding bird performs well and helps in the process of vertical transmission of nutrients from the breeder to the young poult via the hatching egg.

The aim is to establish the optimum physical condition of the bird making her ready for the key breeding period. Leaving this until the bird starts to lay is too late. Early intervention, both from a nutritional and management perspective, is essential.

We are looking for a breeder hen with a good body condition and conformation in terms of muscle development and fat deposition. If she is too fat prolapses become a greater risk, if she is too lean key energy reserves may be insufficient to allow good egg numbers and egg quality. It is for these reasons Marsdens nutritionists designed Marsdens “Pre Breeder” to condition the body structure and reproductive tract.

Good shell quality is also vitally important if a high percentage of eggs produced are to be set and hatch into really viable poults. Nutrition plays a key role in ensuring shell quality is optimised in the breeding bird.

Our Marsdens Breeder diet is designed to support on-going shell quality through its supply of calcium phosphate together with a balanced supply of vitamin D and specific amino acids. Our “egg shell quality concept” is designed to optimise the key components that contribute to shell quality, taking into consideration feed intake and egg size.

The careful selection of raw materials referred to earlier in this publication is absolutely critical in the breeding phase.

Nutritional Innovation

Reproflor Game contains long chain Omega-3 fatty acids, functional fibre and natural antioxidants. Reproflor Game is designed to maximise the performance of the high potential breeding hen. The Omega 3 and antioxidant components of Reproflor Game is able to be transferred into the egg yolk and support the developing embryo prior to hatch.

Reproflor Game supplies key and unique nutrients, proven in many trials to improve laying performance, poult viability at hatch and hence lower early mortality.

The new concept has further enhanced the performance potential of Marsdens Pre Breeder and Breeder feed range. Hatch Plus is unique and exclusive to Marsdens offers the benefit of increased hatchability through its defined mode of action.

The Starter PhaseGetting them off to a good start


The Marsdens feed philosophy is to manufacture diets with higher protein and energy levels as compared with many of its competitors and as a result the feeds produce stronger, healthy and well feathered poults.

The Starter feed regime consists of a Super Fine Crumb, Fine Crumb, Coarse Crumb, mini pellet and Early Grower pellet. Early grower is available in 2 mm, an ideal size for partridges, while pheasants would prefer a 3.2mm pellet.

All the feeds are highly nutritious; the objective to produce excellent sized poults with many game farmers endorsing this high protein feed strategy.

Game Farmers and Game Keepers have confidence, particularly at bitting time, in the change over from Crumb to Mini when using Marsdens as they are aware that there will be no nutritional stress.

Marsdens produce these premium diets by using fishmeal as a prime source of protein thus using an animal source of protein which is the basis of wild bird stocks nutritional intake.

Marsdens use of fishmeal is not always ‘matched’ by its competitors. Poults being put to ‘wood’ have an advantage if they are being fed Marsdens Early Grower Pellets. Firstly, with the high protein nutritional package, they are more likely to get over the stress of the move and will quickly grow stronger. Secondly there is a better chance to‘match’ a game farm’s high protein.

The Marsdens feed philosophy is one of high protein, with fishmeal as an important source, for a smaller game bird – the partridge. When considering feed for partridges it should be remembered that many of Marsdens competitors do not have this strategy.

The day-old partridges need to get off to a good start. Marsdens produce a Super Fine Crumb, which is very small, and will help to avoid ‘starve out’. Marsdens Fine Crumb is also manufactured which is a small enough for feeding on days 4 and 5 onwards and finally, Mini-Pellet.

Note: The Starter feed regime provides the option of both a 29% and 26% protein feeds designed to be fed to the age of 6 weeks.

The size of the Mini-Pellets is 2mm. This size is very small and compares in size to Micro Pellets produced by some of Marsdens’ competitors. Using Marsdens, a keeper can be confident that the physical form of the diets will be ideal for partridges.The Mini-Pellets are particularly small and many keepers compliment Marsdens on the product.

Marsdens game starter diet is produced in four physical forms. A Super-Fine Crumb, which does not contain a coccidiastat, and is ideal for starting partridges over the first 4 or 5 days. The next size is the Starter Crumb, which follows the Super-Fine for partridges, and is used as a starter feed for pheasants. There is also a larger crumb (known as Coarse Crumb) which is sometimes used when the chicks are in week 3. The final form is Mini-Pellet, which is designed to be introduced at the beginning of week 3 with pheasants, and the beginning of week 4 with partridges.

Duck Feed Regime

Marsdens produce two feeds for growing ducklings which are both formulated with the mallard in mind.

The Starter Crumb is 20% protein ration in a standard sized crumb form. It should be fed for the first 3 weeks. At the beginning of week 4 the ducks can change from Crumb to Duck Grower. The 18% protein diet will produce a strong mallard at 6 weeks, ready for the switch to grain.

The Grower PhasePreparing for Wood


Following the Starter phase, Marsdens Early Grower is the next diet to be fed.

Marsdens Early Grower is a 24% protein product and is designed to follow the Starter diet when feeding poults in the rearing field. With this in mind, the use of fishmeal is of prime importance.

The diet can be purchased in the two forms – Pellets and Mini-Pellets. The majority of keepers use Early Grower in a 3mm pellet form when feeding Pheasants while the 2mm Mini pellet option is often fed to Partridges.

The ideal diet for feeding poults being put to ‘wood’ or ‘cover crop’ is Marsdens Early Grower. The 24% protein feed (including fishmeal), is designed to encourage continual strong growth of the poults when they are at a vulnerable time.

In addition to Early Grower, Marsdens offer a 2.5mm pellet which again is 24% protein. “Superlink” is sometimes preferred an easier one feed solution when the majority birds being fed are partridges rather than pheasants.

Following the first 2½ weeks of Early Grower, feeding at ‘wood’ (a guide – 1 tonne per 1000 poults), the birds should move on to Peak Release Pellet.

Peak Release is highly palatable feed containing Aniseed, by design the addition of aniseed helps to avoid any from straying.

As an alternative to the two-stage feed regime for pheasants, as overleaf, Marsdens produce Grower Pellets at 21%. This being a one-stage feed regime for pheasants at ‘wood’. It is recommended that Grower Pellets follows Early Grower as a follow-on feed for partridges.

Where the preferred option is to feed a 2.5mm pellet in the early stages this philosophy is extended by feeding a Game Rearer 2.5 followed by a Game Grower 2.5.

As an alternative to the two-stage feed regime for pheasants, as overleaf, Marsdens produce Grower Pellets at 21%. This being a one-stage feed regime for pheasants at ‘wood’. It is recommended that Grower Pellets follows Early Grower as follow-on feed for partridges.

Marsdens produce two feeds for growing ducklings which are both formulated with the mallard in mind.

The Starter Crumb is 20% protein ration in a standard sized crumb form. It should be fed for the first 3 weeks. At the beginning of week 4 the ducks can change from Crumb to Duck Grower. The 18% protein diet will produce a strong mallard at 6 weeks, ready for the switch to grain.

Marsdens produce a range of diets specifically with the mallard in mind. Some of Marsdens’ competitors do not offer a range of feed for ducks.

With Marsdens, the Duck Starter and Grower diets will produce a well-grown and well-feathered bird at 6 weeks of age. At this stage the bird can move on to grain.

Hold’emKeepers are familiar with the problems of ‘holding’ poults following the switch from pellets to grain.

Hold’em Seed mixture and Hold’em Spice can really help the bird adapt to the natural environment, as arrangement of succulent Seeds uniquely designed to mirror the natural habitat of the countryside. Suitably fed to a wide range of wild bird species uniquely designed to fulfil the nutritional requirements of both Partridges and Pheasants

Hold’em Game Spice

In many ways game birds are like us humans looking for an easy life. In simple terms if they are happy with the environment they are living in why leave home.

Any change or stress factor along the way could upset this encouraging the birds to wander in search of a better environment

The major factor is feed availability & access, encouraging maximum feed intakes, with various things depressing appetite:• Weather conditions• General health/disease status• Diet formulation, medication inclusion,

pellet size & quality• Other feeds available, grubs, seeds & wheat• Diet change pellets to wheat


CODE Description(Bag colour)

Die Size Plain products Protein % Price per Tonne bags Delivered

BREEDER FEED

5660 Game Pre Breeder Pellets 3.2 √ 15.00%

5661 Partridge Breeder Pellets 3.2 √ 20.00%

5662 Pheasant Breeder Pellets 3.2 √ 18.00%

5101 Partridge Breeder 2 mm 2 √ 20.00%

5105 Game Breeder 3.2 √ 17.00%

STARTER AND REARER FEEDS

5651 Ultimate Super Fine Crumbs Super Fine Crumb √ 29.00%

5634 Superlink 2.5 √ 24.00%

5658 Grower Withdrawal Pellets 3.2 √ 21.00%

5656 Peak Release Pellets 3.2 √ 18.00%

5549 Over Winter Pellets 3.2 √ 15.00%

THE DIETS CONTAINING AVATEC

5652 Ultimate Starter Fine Crumbs (ACS) Fine Crumb 29.00%

5653 Ultimate Starter Mini Pellets (ACS) 2 29.00%

5133 Premier Starter Fine Crumb (ACS) Fine Crumb 26.00%

5134 Premier Starter Mini Pellets (ACS) 2 26.00%

5603 Early Grower Mini Pellets (ACS) 2 24.00%

5558 Superlink (ACS) 2.5 24.00%

5654 Early Grower Pellets (ACS) 3.2 24.00%

5655 Grower Pellets (ACS) 3.2 21.00%

DUCK FEEDS

5522 Duck Breeder Pellets 3.2 √ 17.00%

5523 Duck Starter Crumbs Fine Crumb √ 20.00%

5524 Duck Grower Pellets 3.2 √ 18.00%

STARTER AND REARER FEEDS

5650 Game Starter Coarse Crumbs (ACS ) Coarse Crumb 29.00%

5630 Game Starter Coarse Crumbs (ACS ) Coarse Crumb 26.00%

5106 Game Starter Fine Crumbs (ACS) Fine Crumb 26.00%

5107 Game Mini Pellets (ACS) 2 24.00%

5169 Game Rearer 2.5 Pellets (ACS 2.5 24.00%

5115 Game Rearer Pellets (ACS) 3.2 24.00%

5111 Game Grower 2.5 mm Pellets (ACS) 2.5 20.00%

5118 Game Grower 2.5 mm Pellets 2.5 √ 20.00%

5108 Game Grower Pellets (ACS) 3.2 20.00%

5109 Covert Pellets 3.2 √ 16.00%

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Product Listing

www.marsdensfeeds.co.uk

Customer servicesBurston 08450 250444

Radstock 08456 060333Selby 08452 709016

Denbigh 01745 816391Brydekirk 0800 424200

Documents

Marsdens Game Feeds