Honor Show Chow!

Basic nutrition information, show pig, sow, and boar feeding advice
dozer
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Honor Show Chow!

Post by dozer » Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:58 pm

Does everyone have as much trouble with feed companies as we do? We have waited three weeks for an order of T100.
Last edited by dozer on Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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HILOfarm
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Re: No "Honor" about Honor Show Chow!

Post by HILOfarm » Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:57 pm

Honor has been great to us over the last 4 years. We have a great dealer who treats us and all 4Hers extremely well!

dolfan31
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by dolfan31 » Sat Jan 19, 2013 2:57 pm

Sounds like a local feed store issue. Most Honor dealers can get your feed quickly or floor stock it. Also Honor has updated their line of show pig feed so i am not sure that the feed you are trying to order is still available. The feeds all end in 09 now i.e. 509, 609, 709, 809 etc.
Last edited by dolfan31 on Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Mary-Okie
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by Mary-Okie » Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:58 am

05? you mean they end in 09 now.

Dozer,

Have you gone to the Purina website and checked to see where the dealers are around you? You might need to see if you can find a better feed dealer to work with.
Colby Ferguson
Mary-Okie Farm
cferg615@outlook.com

“Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.” Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant

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Eddie2012
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by Eddie2012 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:41 am

I'd agree - local dealer problem. We have the same sort of issues.

It often takes weeks to get it and then half of the time they order the wrong feed or supplement. I just don't think they are familiar enough with what they are selling. It's really frustrating to wait two to three weeks for a feed, then drive 40 minutes to pick it up, it's the wrong feed or supplement, so then two to three weeks turns into four to six weeks, and another 40 minute drive.

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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by dolfan31 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:41 pm

Thanks Mary-Okie, Yes 09 I guess I had a brain cramp.

JLR

Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by JLR » Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:03 pm

I have used sunglow and honor over the years and tried most of the products. We have used honor the last few years due to one of our local feed stores carring most of the products now in stock, except powerfill, powerfill is a product that you dont always need but when you do we haven't found a replacement for it. This year I was tring to hold a barrow with KGB's advice, with 3 weeks to go I ran out and the feed store told me they werent going to get anymore shippments of powerfill, I was extremly mad as I have bought approx. $3,000 maybe more of additives in 2012. I talked to a Honor feed rep. and he told me no more would be shipped to Fla. this year. South Flarida show season starts in Jan. and ends about mid march. The feed store told me they could direct ship it but would cost me $140.00, which I refused to pay. Our local county show ended yesterday and the feed store told me they just got some more in. We have 2 more shows before the end of Feb. Honor has some good products but the closer you get to the show the harder it is to get what you need in Fla. Very disapointed.

James

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kgb
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by kgb » Sun Jan 27, 2013 11:56 pm

I think this is a local dealer issue. To find alternative dealers go to: honorshowchow.com. Then click on Dealer Locator. Then enter your 5 digit zip code.
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
Purina® Honor® Show Chow® Nutritionist
http://www.PurinaMills.com/Show-Feed
http://www.facebook.com/HonorShowChow
http://www.twitter.com/HonorShowChow

If you have the power to do good for someone...use it. Proverbs 3:27

kam
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by kam » Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:30 pm

Well, I have been breeding pigs for about 15 years now in Florida. I will say that all feed companies are hard to get feed from. It is getting better, but in the past it was nearly impossible to get starter feed from any company. Sunglo and Purina wouldn't ship to Florida until the middle to the end of August, well, some of our pigs are weaned and on feed by then, we had to start them directly on grower. Now, I start ordering my starter feed in the fall in hopes that someone will take mercy on me, that is if I'm not driving to Ohio for gilts and get my own feed, and get me feed before my litters are eating. The one company that I have had good luck with on the starter feed is Moormans, but had trouble this year.

I can't say whether it is a store problem or not, but I will tell you, I have talked to KGB and other feed reps and still had problems actually getting the feed when I needed it at times. I'm talking to the new Purina rep in our area this week to see if I can get some off season pigs on some starter, I can update you in the next couple of weeks as to whether it actually shows up or not.

Oh yeah, and right now our feed store is not stocking grower - the show is in a couple weeks and they feel all the pigs in the County should be on finisher. THAT is a store problem.

Oh, but the alternative is to pay the shipping and have your $40 a bag starter turn into a $75 - $80 a bag starter.

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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by Mary-Okie » Sat Feb 02, 2013 9:27 am

This might be more than you want to take on, but have you thought about building your own feeds and just getting premixes from the feed company. You might have to take a pallet or half a pallet, but the premixes store well and have a really good shelf life if taken care of. This would allow you to build a starter, grower and finisher feed.

Sounds like getting complete feeds is a real nightmare down there and you could probably pick up some feed business to offset your own feed cost by making your own complete feed. Or you could work with a local feed mill to have them offer a custom complete feed made with your ration.

Sometimes it's just easier to make your own feed then to try to guess when the feed dealer will have the feed you need. also, it will most likely be a less costly feed.

Purina and Sunglo both have premixes and nutritionists that can help you build a feed based on the local ingredients available.

First, you need to find a feed mill that will custom grind and mix, that has Corn, Soybean Meal, Crimped oats, A fat source (or is willing to get in a fat source from the parent company) and most of all willing to get in the showpig premix you need or will mix a competitor's premix if they are not a feed dealer of the company you want to get the premix from.

Both Sunglo and Purina have really good nutritionists to contact and are easily found on their websites. I would at least investigate it.
Colby Ferguson
Mary-Okie Farm
cferg615@outlook.com

“Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.” Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant

swinedad
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by swinedad » Sat Feb 02, 2013 9:38 pm

Kam and others having problems getting feed when you need it: Go to the largest feed store you can find within the distance you feel comfortable with making the trip to on a 10 day to 2 week interval. They need to be feed stores that grind and mix feed. These stores are doing volume and volume means they are getting a delivery every week or at the most every 2 weeks from a large feed company-ADM, Hubbard, Purina, and on and on. These feed stores seem to buy from one of the giants I mentioned above and have some sideline feeds due to the requests from good customers but the point is they do a boat load of business with one of the big guys. These big feed companies have show pig feed for sale and they want to keep "Gator Feed Company" happy. So, if you find a feed store who's main supplier is Hubbards= Showrite feed use it and so on-Purina equals Honor show feed, ADM is Mormans and that's all I can think of at the moment. If you've been farrowing commercial or show pigs for 15 years I'm guessing you must farrow at least 15 to 25 sows twice yearly. If I'm right, then you're probably buying 18 to 21 thousand in feed annually. If you splash all of that business on one feed store, you become a pretty important customer. These feed stores may buy a semi load or more of feed for cows or horses, rabbits and goats per week and they will always be willing to throw on a ton of Prelude 209 or Showrite 50 Mg or even a couple bags. With regards to feed stores not having the feed you want at the end of show season, I suggest that you order ahead from the store your spending $20,000 with annually and get as many of your buyers as possible to do the same so that you'll have the feed you need at the end, i.e. Powerfill type of deal. Do you know that these feed stores get stuck with all this show pig feed if they don't sell it? Help your "new" feed store sell they're leftover feed to other stores where show season is still going on.
Hope these suggestions are possibilities in your part of the country.

Swinedad

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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by kgb » Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:06 am

KLR - do you recall the name of the "HONOR" rep that told no more High Octane supplements would be shipped to FL this year? By the way, the brand is HONOR Show Chow, the company is Purina Animal Nutrition.

KAM - I don't know if I spoke to you or not (can't tell who you are), but I'm not a rep. I am the nutritionist that formulates the feed (and feeds them). I do the technical support for HONOR Show Chow. And, I live in the Kansas City area. I have little if any contact with dealers in Florida.

I'm not saying we haven't messed up with product availability...it's bugs me to no end. But, when you are talking about a specific dealer, who tells you no more feed or supplements will be coming in, ask them who the name of the Purina Salesman (or sales person...) and ask for their contact information.

If that doesn't work, call the Purina customer service number (found on the bag) and let the customer service people know whats going on and that you want to talk the Purina sales person in your area. The local sales people are the ones that can facilitate things for you.

Not all dealers are like this, but some of them are scared of having old product sitting around after the show season is over. So they discourage bringing things in. Again, only a few are like this. But, the answer is communication between customers and dealers. If the dealer doesn't know how many animals you have on feed, or when your show will take place, and or how much feed you are going to need etc... they have no idea about how much to inventory.

I'm not making excuses for them, but if we (I buy retail as well) do a better job of communicating our needs to them, maybe we can alleviate these issues.

Just a thought.
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
Purina® Honor® Show Chow® Nutritionist
http://www.PurinaMills.com/Show-Feed
http://www.facebook.com/HonorShowChow
http://www.twitter.com/HonorShowChow

If you have the power to do good for someone...use it. Proverbs 3:27

kam
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by kam » Mon Feb 04, 2013 12:59 pm

We grind and mix our sow feed - I do use Gator Feed Company for that - what a good guess.

We run between 10 and 12 sows a year.

It's not me that has the real problem with the show feeds, I don't have any kids, but I try to help the people we sell to and the people in our area find feed.

I sell about 70 showpigs a year but I will help anyone who calls since their breeders aren't in this area most of the time and don't know what we have available, so I couldn't tell you how many people call looking for feed information and stuff feed related.

Our Purina dealer (who is also a Sunglo dealer) is pretty big and does a wonderful job except for this time of year when they will only order finisher and some of the kids still need a grower. He will put a little effort in it for me to get pig starter, but I have to bug the life out of him to actually get it and then it takes so long.

My husband talked to Jack Pouge years ago and we were going to haul his premixes in and grind all the kids feeds, but I wasn't ready for that - we both work full time jobs. I'm still not ready for that.

I've offered every feed store I have every done business with to buy their leftover show feed - no matter how much and at their price. I always have off season pigs to feed it to. Not my choice for bbq pigs, but what the heck, if they can get me what I need, I will take their leftovers off their hands. Haven't had a taker yet.

Its just very frustrating and since customer service is what I pride myself in, its just really frustrating.

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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by kgb » Mon Feb 04, 2013 2:24 pm

That would be frustrating.

Just a thought; Purina (HONOR Show Chow) has a Showpig Base that is designed to use with a sow premix. With this combination you can grind and mix feeds starting with a Phase 2 nursery diet for 15 lbs pigs all the way up to show time.

As the pig grows you use less of the Showpig Base and there are significant savings. You can mix whatever you need and put in however much Showpig Base as you desire. The base is very concentrated with milk, fish, eggs, whey, crystalline amino acids and a flavor.
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
Purina® Honor® Show Chow® Nutritionist
http://www.PurinaMills.com/Show-Feed
http://www.facebook.com/HonorShowChow
http://www.twitter.com/HonorShowChow

If you have the power to do good for someone...use it. Proverbs 3:27

swinedad
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Re: Honor Show Chow!

Post by swinedad » Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:52 pm

Kam, Mary-Okie and KGB suggestions sound real good. The thing about these ideas is that if you start mixing feed and selling it you now own another business or at least a new segment or extension of your existing business. That's fine, but it sounds like you might have a lot on your plate now. It still doesn't solve your problem of getting pelletized starter feed when you need it. Tough position your in. Maybe you could get a vendors liscense, get an order for feed with half down from everybody and put in an 8 ton order and get what everybody wants. I'd guess an 8 ton order would be worthwhile to one of the ADM, Purina,Hubbard, etc. There were some guys in our area started using a Showrite grind mix about 3 years ago-they had to travel about 75 miles one way to get it. The parents would work together going after it. The second year a dealer 30 miles away started handling a full line of Showrite so they went there. Last year, a very good feed dealer started getting it right here in our county-you know a place they go past 2 or three times a week anyway. You would think that a feed dealer would realize the potential business generated by all us crazy show pig people and think they would work their butts off to help. Good Luck.

Swinedad

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