Thomas Hutchinson and Sons Ltd, also known as Hutchinsons Feeds, is a Tyrone-based family business that provides quality animal feeds and customised nutrition solutions to maximise performance and help support healthy growth of your herd.
Specialising in dairy nutrition and management, they are dedicated to providing the best nutritional products and services possible.
The company can trace its roots back to the late 1800’s when Thomas Hutchinson had been involved in farming and corn and scutch milling in Druminard. After the demise of scutch milling, his son Sandy founded the present mill on the site of the original scutch mill in the 1940’s.
During the following years the new idea of compound feed milling was developed and replaced the old inefficient corn mills. Production in those days consisted mainly of pig feeds, and as the company grew and expanded it took on the name of Thomas Hutchinson & Sons Ltd in 1956.
In 1974, current Managing Director Ian Hutchinson joined the family business and the mill grew from strength to strength with the installation of its first pellet press in 1982 and a consequent doubling in production.
Growth continued through the following two decades, but with a shift in focus to ruminant sales.
Since 2008, Hutchinson’s Feeds, as they are now better known, has been a dedicated ruminant feed mill and pride themselves in being specialists in Dairy nutrition.
Dairy feeds account for over 80% of their annual tonnage and they produce a range of dairy nuts and feeder wagon blends that are high in both quality protein and energy.
Should you wish to feed a tailor-made ration to meet the specific needs of your farm, they also offer a bespoke formulation service. Their in-house Nutritionists and experienced team of Dairy Specialists can provide a comprehensive package of technical services to the progressive dairy farmer.
Feeds can also be made containing a wide range of products proven to enhance dairy cow productive performance such as Actisaf Live Yeast, Alkacid, Fish Oil, Protected Minerals and Protected Fat.
Their extensive product range also includes Dry Cow, Beef & Sheep and Calf & Heifer feeds.
With the fourth generation of the family now involved, the company has continued to grow and develop with a highly skilled workforce from ordering to manufacturing and delivery. Support for their farming customers is also provided from a strong team of experts in ruminant management and nutrition.
“We employ approximately 40 people at this point in time, including my son Michael and his wife Shirley-Ann and my daughter Stacey and her husband Richard,” Ian Hutchinson outlined. “We’re a family-run firm that has been part of the local landscape here for generations.”
At Hutchinsons Feeds, they aim to produce feed that will more than fulfil their customers’ expectations in terms of nutritional and physical quality. When producing rations, they refuse to compromise on quality for cost, a fact proven by the consistently high performance of animals fed on their products.
Their in-house nutritionists and experienced team of dairy specialists can provide a comprehensive package of technical services to the progressive dairy farmer.
Their services include forage analysis, development of individual feeding programmes, bespoke formulations and support for robotic and computerised parlour feeding systems.
Nutrition is a critical factor influencing the productivity and profitability of an animal. At Hutchinsons Feeds, they use a select range of raw materials in their state of the art mill to produce a feed that can be relied on, every time, every load.
Integrity is incorporated into every aspect of business at Hutchinsons Feeds as all business relationships should be built on trust, a value that must also be shared by their many longstanding customers.
As well as their pre-formulated rations, they offer a bespoke feed service where their Nutritionists can design a feed plan around an individual farms needs and expectations.
This allows them react quickly to changing circumstances and ensures your feed is right for you.
They can help and support you by specifically designing a ‘feed for every need’ whether you are hoping to enhance yield, reproductive performance, improve milk quality, reduce the risk of acidosis, increase forage intake or reduce waste.
“Last year we recruited two new sales representatives, nutritionists and additional technical staff and, as a result, we are up 50% on production this year,” Ian revealed. “As a company, we’ve experienced huge expansion in recent years. Business is going very well and we’d be optimistic that trend will continue in the future.
“There are question marks over what Brexit will mean. It could bring challenges or it could bring opportunities – who knows at this stage?
“But, we pride ourselves on offering quality products and services to our loyal customers and we will continue to do that regardless. My son Michael started up a Beef Producer Group last year which is aimed at helping smaller beef farmers get a better return out of market place and that has proven to be a great success,” Ian concluded.
For more information at Hutchinson Feeds product range and wide variety of services, contact Ian and his dedicated team at the number below or visit their information packed website at www.hutchinsonsfeeds.com.
Hutchinsons Feeds
4 Ballygillen Road
Cookstown
County Tyrone
BT80 0AL
Tel: 028 8673 7209
Website: www.hutchinsonsfeeds.com
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 6 No 1, February 2018
