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is a regional livestock feed manufacturer. We formulate and make highly fortified specialty livestock feeds. We manufacture all forms of feed: Texturized, Pelleted, and Mineral/Premix. Available bagged, bulk bags, and in bulk. Customers call us when they want feed "done right!"
We have been manufacturing feeds since 1990. I, Jeff Hunter, have been involved with ruminant livestock nearly all my life and have been formulating livestock feeds since 1981. Most companies ‘just’ make feed - Proper Nutrition has always been my top priority. I formulate feed that will allow an animal to reach its genetic potential.
This means feeds that are fortified above NRC and traditional levels. Special emphasis has been given to levels and balance of important trace elements and vitamins. Feed digestibility is a major concern in our formulations - no cheap fillers are ever used.
Typical feed companies are less concerned with volume selling and price per bag of feed. The true cost of feed is in the results (or cost per pound gained). HUNTER NUTRITION feeds use higher quality ingredients, are properly balanced and are highly digestible. Our clients often use 20% less feed than ordinary formulas.
Hunter Nutrition manufacturers feed for all livestock. We make all forms of feed: Texturized, Pelleted, and Mineral/Premix’s. We are unique in the fact that we make all three forms of feed. Most manufacturing plants make only one or two forms of feed. We make all 3 forms of feed. While we are best known for our Sheep Feeding Program and our Show Feeds; we are actually a full-line feed manufacture.
We also produce highly fortified product lines of feed for Goats, Horses, Llama, Poultry, Cattle, Show Pigs, plus - Liquid & Dry Show Feed Topdresses. We made over 155,240 bags of feed and 1,239 tons of bulk feed in 2019.
HUNTER NUTRITION manufactures a diverse line of products. We have toll milled rabbit, cavy, sheep, goat, horse, beef, pigeon, and deer feed for other regional and national feed companies. We make the most complete line of Sheep Feeds in the country, over 25 different products!
Our Beef Feeding Program has an expanded line up of complete, supplement, and mineral products. We make several different custom beef feeds; premixes, texturized, feedlot, free choice mineral, calf pellets, commodity pellets, and pelleted feeds for the cow herd. Horse, Goat, Rabbit, and Poultry Feeds sales and product line up continue to grow. No matter what feed we are making, customers come to us when they ‘want it done right’.
We also manufacture the internationally sold product ‘SURVIVE!’ This is an oral Vitamin and Energy supplement for newborns, weak and off-feed animals.
BETTER FEED DOESN’T COST. IT PAYS.
In improved health, bloom and performance of your stock.
We have the best formulas made with the best ingredients in our modern, efficient manufacturing plant.
Quality in feed means clients use less feed to obtain optimum performance, saving them money. Our quality starts with using only ingredients with very high nutrient availability and digestibility. Very precise manufacturing procedures and quality control programs are part of our everyday work. Our horizontal mixing systems are far superior to the normal vertical mixers found at typical country elevators and small feedmills.
Our mixing equipment is nearly 100% self-cleaning; this means better feed quality. Our mixers gently fold and mix as opposed to the hard flinging action of vertical mixers. Our feeds are uniform; they have less fines, separation, and break up of ingredients with our manufacturing equipment. Even our bulk ingredients are conveyed via their own individual auger - thus no contamination. Manufacturing of feeds is done in a species and medication sequence. This insures top quality, no contamination of feeds, and consistent feeds.
The Brookston plant is a huge facility with 58,000 square feet: no this is not a typo– it’s a 58,000 sq ft facility sitting on over 5 acres. The plant at Brookston is not a grain elevator; it is strictly a feed manufacturing plant. I purchased the entire plant and we lease the plant’s truck repair shop and 14,400 sq ft of extra warehouse space.
As many of you know we out grew our original facility many years before we relocated. We had been getting by for years with our crowded feedmill and rented warehouse space. We would frequently manufacturer and ship the same day due to a lack of space. I had been looking for a new location for over 2 1/2 years.
Initially we were unable to find another feedmill to purchase. We looked at building or buying a warehouse style building with office space for our feed manufacturing. We knew we needed a larger office, much more warehouse space, additional ingredient storage and extra manufacturing capabilities such as pelleting.
In late June 2005, I became aware of a possible opportunity. United Feeds had decided to close its manufacturing plant in Brookston, Indiana. They were consolidating production into their other plants and no longer needed to make feed at Brookston. The Brookston plant was 17 miles from home and fully operational.
It had the things we needed. A large office, bagged feed warehouse space, bulk load-out capabilities, more ingredient storage, and two pellet mills. Our feed business has always been much larger than most folks think; as they were basing their perception on our facility size. We moved on January 9, 2006.
OUR MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT
In 2006, we moved our current Texturized Feed Manufacturing equipment to this new plant. Additionally we have two pellet mills with their associated equipment (legs, dies, coolers, and boiler).
We have three horizontal mixers; each dedicated to certain product lines. A main receiving leg about 150 foot tall initially moves ingredients into storage bins. Seven other legs (bucket elevators) move product around in the plant.
We have two square bin cluster structures. The tallest holds 360 tons of ingredients and sits over a weigh hopper which feeds either the horizontal drum mixer or horizontal premix mixer. The horizontal drum mixer feeds the two pellet mills. The other square structure holds six hopper bottom style bins which holds 240 tons of ingredients for making Texturized feeds. We have sixteen overhead bulk load out bins for finished product in bulk. There are three separate bagging/sewing lines for bagged products.
Proper Sheep Nutrition is my top priority. HUNTER SHEEP NUTRITION (HSN) products are formulated at levels above NRC requirements in order for our clients flocks to attain top performance. Higher levels of digestible nutrients, energy, lysine, vitamins, minerals, selenium, and bovatec not only increase performance, but are also a factor in disease resistance, and the health of the sheep and lambs.
When I formulate a feed, the animals consumption level is first taken into account, and the feed is made based on that. Many other companies just put together a feed based on standard ‘ton’ basis levels, and disregard how much the animal will consume. The idea of formulating feeds based on consumption is not new - most companies just don’t bother because sheep are not their primary business. (*See example.)
Unlike the so called “Major” feed companies, I have created separate feeds and feeding programs for both ewes and lambs. Different feeding programs are a must. A “one feed or supplement does all” approach is just not correct! The adult ewe consumes a diet higher in forages than grain, which is high in calcium and low in phosphorus. Lambs, on the other hand, require a diet high in phosphorus and low in calcium, (just the opposite). Therefore, no supplement could possibly balance both diets. Adult sheep and lambs also have large differences in requirements for selenium, energy, protein, vitamins and minerals.
*Situation = Bovatec feeding to ewes prior to lambing. FDA allows either a 30 gram/ton or 70 mg/ewe/day level. A typical ton of ewe supplement contains 120 gram/ton of bovatec. When 300 lbs. of this supplement is used per ton of grain mix, a 30 gram level is achieved. When the ewe consumes 2 lbs. feed per day, she receives 18 mg of Bovatec. Since the drug manufacturer recommends feeding 24 to 70 mg/ewe daily, this level is really useless in cleaning up the ewe of cocci.
Since I formulate on a consumption basis and state this on the tag, I meet FDA rules and get more Bovatec into the ewe. The use of 330 lbs. of my 45% Ewe supplement (408 g/ton Bovatec) in a ton of ewe grain mix results in 1/3 lb. of supplement fed daily. This 1/3 lb. of 45% contains 70 mg Bovatec. This level is high enough to clean up the ewe and reduce the amount of cocci present at lambing time to infect new lambs.