Heinold Feeds

Anyone on here use it? I know a few breeders in the midwest who swear by it and I'm just wondering what kind of results others get out of it.

I used it for a while, the 18% feed, I liked it so did my rabbits and they did well , but then my feed store changed ownership and I wasnt able to continue using it.The only thing I didn't like was that the pellets were kinda fat and the babies looked hilarious trin' to get it to their back teeth to crush it. But that was years ago I guess the pellet size might have changed by now. Anyways good nutrition.

Their pellet size isn't as big now as it used to be. I used it when showing my rabbits growing up, and we've started to use it now. No idea how effective it is compared to other feeds, but they produce a good range of different pellets depending upon your needs, be it show, meat or pet.

My breeder and her friend use it, and swear by it. Her kits sure do get bigger than mine, faster, and I'm breeding only her lines, so that tells me something.
I would use it but I can't get it.

skysthelimit":3wb36hwk said:

My breeder and her friend use it, and swear by it. Her kits sure do get bigger than mine, faster, and I'm breeding only her lines, so that tells me something.
I would use it but I can't get it.

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I had been getting it piecemeal at shows when I could find it since there was no one local. But I got fed up with scrambling, so I found one of the distributors that was only a little over an hour away and bought two months worth all in one shot and given they were a larger distributor, their prices in bulk were pretty good, so it made up for the gas to go pick them up.

phillinley":3cdjmv5f said:

skysthelimit":3cdjmv5f said:

My breeder and her friend use it, and swear by it. Her kits sure do get bigger than mine, faster, and I'm breeding only her lines, so that tells me something.
I would use it but I can't get it.

Click to expand...

I had been getting it piecemeal at shows when I could find it since there was no one local. But I got fed up with scrambling, so I found one of the distributors that was only a little over an hour away and bought two months worth all in one shot and given they were a larger distributor, their prices in bulk were pretty good, so it made up for the gas to go pick them up.

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They are both still trying to convince me, and she lives about 45 minutes away. My question to them is how much will I have to get. They get about 13 bags each, but there is no way I can safely store 13 bags, but I can use it before it goes bad, because I use 4-5 bags a month of MannaPro.

phillinley":3jhifx0w said:

skysthelimit":3jhifx0w said:

My breeder and her friend use it, and swear by it. Her kits sure do get bigger than mine, faster, and I'm breeding only her lines, so that tells me something.
I would use it but I can't get it.

Click to expand...

I had been getting it piecemeal at shows when I could find it since there was no one local. But I got fed up with scrambling, so I found one of the distributors that was only a little over an hour away and bought two months worth all in one shot and given they were a larger distributor, their prices in bulk were pretty good, so it made up for the gas to go pick them up.

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How far are you from Farmersville, IL? (It's located 20 minutes from Springfield on Interstate 55.) There is a feed mill in that town and it's owned by Heinold. I know for a fact that they sell the full line of feeds there.

__________ Tue Nov 13, 2012 6:59 am __________

skysthelimit":3jhifx0w said:

phillinley":3jhifx0w said:

skysthelimit":3jhifx0w said:

My breeder and her friend use it, and swear by it. Her kits sure do get bigger than mine, faster, and I'm breeding only her lines, so that tells me something.
I would use it but I can't get it.

Click to expand...

I had been getting it piecemeal at shows when I could find it since there was no one local. But I got fed up with scrambling, so I found one of the distributors that was only a little over an hour away and bought two months worth all in one shot and given they were a larger distributor, their prices in bulk were pretty good, so it made up for the gas to go pick them up.

Click to expand...

They are both still trying to convince me, and she lives about 45 minutes away. My question to them is how much will I have to get. They get about 13 bags each, but there is no way I can safely store 13 bags, but I can use it before it goes bad, because I use 4-5 bags a month of MannaPro.

Click to expand...

Is there a dealer in Indiana which is somewhat close to where you live at? If so and you really like the stuff, it may be worth your while to make the drive peridically.

I am in Northern Ohio, an hour from the PA border, so anywhere in Indiana would not be worth the gas. My vehicle also needs a lot of work and does not travel the highway well. I never drive more than 45 minutes from home with this van.

There's only one distributor in western Ohio and none in Pennsylvania, so it probably isn't the best food option for you just given the distance. If I was in your spot I'd be looking for something else local. Probably the main reason I use Heinold over another feed right now is my success with it as a kid and it's local proximity. I'm sure it's not the be all end all, but it's sufficient.

Phil, I really believe it comes down to how desparate a breeder is to get the feed that fits his or her herd, not vice versa. That is where I am at. I feel as though I've exhausted every other avenue in the locale which I live, and all of them have corn as a primary ingredient, or there are real freshness issues, or your herd seems to slip on them for whatever reason, and I reverted to having to make the trip to the Heinolds-owned mill in Farmersville where Oren Reynolds pellets are made about every quarter to pick it up versus having it sit in God only knows what warehouse and for how long. Was the trip kind of long? Yes, just short of 500 miles long, but I'm able to do some things along the way (Did somebody say Culver's or Lambert's?) which I also cannot do around here, so that takes alot of the sting out of the whole thing.

Everyone's situation is different, and I don't pretend that they aren't or that my way is the best. It's also not a gauge of how dedicated a person is. Again, everyone's situation is different, and what may work for one person may not necessarily work for anyone else. I just was trying to offer some options to people who may not have known they existed in the first place. Would to God that we could have the former Wayne Feeds pellets that I used so religiously as a youth exhibitor and had most of my showroom success with "back in the day". Unfortunately, that option is no longer available because they went out of business or were bought out.

I think that every one must do what's best. But I am determined not to go broke over these rabbits. At the current time, I can not multiply the cost of raising something that is a complete financial drain by driving across the state to get feed. When and if it comes to that (and I think it will), I will drive across the state to buy grains instead. I'm trying Penpals, and so far no one has died. now my feed bill has increased by $3 a bag, but I also think I am feeding less food. I don't think I will know till the spring if it something I can use or if I will have to search for another.

Sky, imagine for the moment that you're paying $10.50 per 50-lb. bag of feed. That is another difference in the whole equation. Buying 800 lbs at a pop adds up to over $160 saved on the feed itself compared to what feed stores are now charging per bag.

SatinsRule":2bx170xk said:

Sky, imagine for the moment that you're paying $10.50 per 50-lb. bag of feed. That is another difference in the whole equation. Buying 800 lbs at a pop adds up to over $160 saved on the feed itself compared to what feed stores are now charging per bag.

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True. If that were possible plus the added price of gas. But I could not afford to use that much of my paycheck all at once to buy that much feed at one time. I couldn't put that much in my van, nor could I store that much. The equation just never balances out for me. I understand how and the why, but that would not be a workable situation for me.

skysthelimit":32vwsiwy said:

SatinsRule":32vwsiwy said:

Sky, imagine for the moment that you're paying $10.50 per 50-lb. bag of feed. That is another difference in the whole equation. Buying 800 lbs at a pop adds up to over $160 saved on the feed itself compared to what feed stores are now charging per bag.

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True. If that were possible plus the added price of gas. But I could not afford to use that much of my paycheck all at once to buy that much feed at one time. I couldn't put that much in my van, nor could I store that much. The equation just never balances out for me. I understand how and the why, but that would not be a workable situation for me.

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The difference I saved actually paid for the gas, plus it gave me what I honestly believe is a better feed. If it were $20 per $50 lb bag (as is most everything around here right now), I'd never have made the trip.

I get neither having the storage capability, nor being unable to afford $160 at a pop for 4 months worth of feed. Trust me when I tell you that. It's the reason I didn't do this alot sooner, but if I bought the same 800 lbs of feed here locally, it would wind up costing me $340 (gas included). Yeah, I'm not blowing thru a day's worth of travelling that kind of distance, but for someone who spent a significant amount of time on the road these past 2 years travelling to shows all across the south and midwest, it seems like just another trip.

And if you have the chance to make it to Columbus for the OH State Mini Convention, I'd really look forward to meeting you.

Have you talked to Shannon Zwaan? At the convention, she was talking to their sales rep, and we were talking about how we could get it to LR and divide it up between four or five of us.

Ideally, I wish I could convenience someone locally to be a dealer.

ilovehome":nk1dmv0z said:

Have you talked to Shannon Zwaan? At the convention, she was talking to their sales rep, and we were talking about how we could get it to LR and divide it up between four or five of us.

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I have not talked to her about it, actually. I would love for that to happen and would gladly plan it out and execute it if it came right down to it. I have the contact info for the feed mill, and the guy is very interested in doing the transfer for it.

The Oren Reynolds feed is as good of a feed as I've ever seen. It obviously hasn't made me forget about Wayne Feeds, but it has taken its place on top of the chart among the feeds I've tried over the past couple of years.<br /><br />__________ Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:01 pm __________<br /><br />

skysthelimit":nk1dmv0z said:

Ideally, I wish I could convenience someone locally to be a dealer.

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Like I said in the response to the last poster, I have the contact info for the Farmersville feed mill, and they would really love to promote the feed lines. By the time you added in freight, it would probably run you about $15/bag on average, but it would beat the "National Lampoon's Vacation" style roadtrip that I just took. :lol:

I joke about it, but I really could not have asked for a better trip, even though it rained all the way up there. I did get to wake to 29 degree temps in IL. Made me feel like I was alive again!!! I love colder weather!!!! :mrgreen:

SatinsRule":2ur5y8qw said:

Like I said in the response to the last poster, I have the contact info for the Farmersville feed mill, and they would really love to promote the feed lines. By the time you added in freight, it would probably run you about $15/bag on average, but it would beat the "National Lampoon's Vacation" style roadtrip that I just took. :lol:

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They would have to figure out how to promote it in this area. I don't know enough rabbit people around here to pull off a bulk order like that.

Not enough rabbit people in Ohio? Would to God that we had half as many active local clubs and breeders here in AR as you guys do up there.

SatinsRule":2i1laym2 said:

Not enough rabbit people in Ohio? Would to God that we had half as many active local clubs and breeders here in AR as you guys do up there.

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Active, yes but I don't know them, not in the breeds I show. I don't have a network of rabbit people that I meet. I belong to the specialty club for Rex, about 10 people and I've only met one of them. They don't attend shows where I go because they live more than two hours from here. Most of the time I am the only Rex on the table.
I have one breeder I talk to (two if you count Frosted Rabbit and she lives 1 1/2 hours from me), she lives an hour from me, and as far as I know, there are no local breeders in the city of Cleveland or surrounding suburbs. If you look at any listing for rabbits in Ohio, the concentration of breeders are at least an hour plus from Cleveland. They don't have the same problems I do, because they are out in the country, where they have access to what they need. I can't even sell pets here, people are not interested in rabbits up here, which is why TSC stooped carrying what I wanted, not enough pellet sales. Mind you, TSC is at the edge of farmland, and no one is buying pellets there?