This invention relates to the use of the combination of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (“25-OH D3”) and antioxidants (ascorbic acid vitamin E and canthaxanthin) to make a premix or feed for use in maintain, increasing, or ameliorating the decrease of 17 β-estradiol levels in poultry which are observed when poultry is fed ad libitum, thereby extending the poultry's egg laying life.