Situated in the heart of North Antrim, Chestnutt Animal Feeds is a family-run mill with a lifetime of experience in producing a wide range of high quality feeds to meet the needs of dairy, beef cattle and sheep at all stages of life. As this innovative, industry-leading animal feed compounder celebrated its 70th anniversary, we touched base with technical sales and nutrition specialist Richard Beattie to find out more.
Feeding for the future, Chestnutt Animal Feeds has been an inherent part of Northern Ireland’s livestock farming community since its inception in 1953. From its Stranocum, Ballymoney base, this outstanding family-run business boasts a proud legacy of formulating high-quality ruminant, sheep and equine feeds and – with one eye fixed firmly on the future – through ongoing innovation, science and sustainability, continues to go from strength to strength.
Chestnutt Animal Feeds formulate a full range of winter and summer dairy feeds (compounds and blends), each suited to different feeding systems and cows of differing genetic merit. Each feed is made up of high quality raw materials and contains optimum levels of vitamins and minerals.
They have their own in-house technical team to ensure that customers have access to a full nutritional service. Recognising the need for customer-specific feeds and viewing this as a key component of the business, Chestnutt Animal Feeds can tailor feeds to suit each customer’s particular needs. Furthermore, they have significant expertise in servicing farms with robotic milking systems.
Chestnutt Animal Feeds also offer a full range of compounds and blends for all stages of beef production. Their range of beef grower and finisher rations is formulated by their technical team, using the highest quality raw materials. Grower rations are formulated to maximise growth and development of the younger animal, while finisher rations have a high level of maize to ensure optimum fat cover.
Chestnutt’s aim to provide calves with the best possible start through specially-formulated calf starter rations, which come in the form of palatable coarse feeds and pellets. They also offer a range of calf milk replacers.
Chestnutt Animal Feeds are dedicated to providing a customer service which assists farmers in maximising animal performance and profitability. Aiming to meet performance targets from birth is key to this as ground lost in the first few weeks can rarely be regained.
The renowned North Antrim based animal feed compounder also offers a full range of sheep feed in the form of compounds, blends and coarse feeds, again specifically formulated in-house and designed to support all stages of flock health and performance; from supporting the pregnant ewe and unborn lamb through to promoting improved lamb growth and finishing rates. They also offer a range of pedigree lamb feeds specifically formulated to maximise feed intake, frame development and growth.
Moreover, Chestnutt Animal Feeds offer an extensive portfolio of additional products complement their popular quality feeds. These products cater for various animal groups, ranging from specially tailored mineral and vitamin packages and calf milk powders, to feed additives and lick buckets to boost animal performance.
When it comes to formulating bespoke, high-performance rations, nobody does it better than Chestnutt Animal Feeds – a long-established, farmer- and animal-focused, service-driven, family-run business that provides customers with a complete package of value-added solutions.
“We work with farmers the whole way through the process from start to finish,” notes Richard Beattie, technical sales and nutrition specialist. “We know the market and have decades of experience in tailoring our products and service to cater to farmers’ exact needs. A lot more farmers are embracing technology now, including robotic technology, and we have the expertise to work with them to find the optimal feeding solutions.”
The last fifteen years in particular have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of farms in Northern Ireland investing in robotic milking systems, especially in the immediate North Antrim area. To this end, Chestnutt Animal Feeds have gained significant expertise through working with customers using robotic systems and provide a full nutritional service to all.
“Last year, we processed and sold in excess of 100,000 tonnes of animal feed into Antrim, North Down, Derry, North Tyrone and part of Donegal,” Richard continues. “As a ruminant mill, we specialise in ruminant feeds, but we also work with sheep and do some horse feed as well.
“Nutrition and performance are at the heart of the business. It’s all about servicing customers’ needs so as to get the best out of their animals. The reality is that if a customer isn’t making money then we won’t make money.
“A large portion of our feed is made as bespoke rations. Everything is nutrition-based. We formulate a ration designed to do a specific job and to meet each customer’s particular need.”
The historic site in the village of Stranocum where Chestnutt Animal Feeds is located started as a flax mill in the late 1800s and was bought by Alexander Chestnutt in 1926. His nephew Alexander Jnr. purchased the business in September, 1953 and initially ran both a feed mill and fish farm on the site under the banner of A. Chestnutt.
The business is currently owned by Alexander’s son, James Chestnutt, who came on board in the early 1990s and has since 1996 focused solely on animal feed manufacturing under the current trading name of Chestnutt Animal Feeds. “The mil is located on the banks of the River Bush and there is a long and rich history here,” says Richard.
“I’m from a dairy farm myself and most of our sales team are from either a dairy or beef background, so we have that practical farming knowledge which is priceless when dealing with farmers or formulating feeds. We see ourselves as innovators and we are very open to using technology. We’re extremely proactive and responsive. We provide NIR forage analysis and can have quality bespoke rations with our customers within 24 hours of getting a call. We have a brilliant team here and they are all geared towards service and quality.
“In terms of nutrition, everything is done in-house. We will take in information on what their forage is and will take a multifactor approach, looking at nutrition and micro-nutrition, to make sure we always formulate rations that offer the best-possible performance.”
At present, Chestnutt Animal Feeds operate a fleet of 17 lorries and generate direct full-time employment for a team of 38. As well as bulk feeds, they also sell a lot of 25 kilo bags and one-tonne jumbo bags. They pride themselves on supporting local suppliers and the local economy in any way possible and are extremely particular about the raw materials go into the mill.”
Firmly of the belief that innovation holds the key to a sustainable dairy industry, Chestnutt Animal Feeds launched the Sustain Dairy range in 2021 – a first for Northern Ireland compounders, formulated specifically to exclude feed ingredients widely acknowledged as having a negative environmental impact but without compromising on ration quality or farm productivity.
Available in a variety of protein levels, the Sustain Dairy range offers clients a viable alternative to soya, soya derivatives and palm kernel, whilst boasting similar energy, starch and protein values to that of their conventional rations.
“We definitely see ourselves more as leaders than followers,” Richard concludes. “We like to embrace technology and to address sustainability. For example, we are in the process of installing automated blending and automated bagging plants, which will make us even more efficient and less labour-dependent.
“We carry out our own trials and research to learn if a proposed new product will be beneficial to the consumer. As much as we like to innovate and try something new, we will only introduce it once we know it will work for the customer. We carefully select herds to trial new innovations; if we don’t see a guaranteed return, then we won’t proceed with a product that isn’t going to work for our customers.
“We pride ourselves on making high quality rations, with first class service and technical support. The Chestnutt name is on all our feed and people have come to expect the best. They won’t settle for anything less, and neither will we.”
Chestnutt Animal Feeds,
55 Main Street,
Stranocum,
Ballymoney,
County Antrim
Tel: +44(0)28 2074 1354
Email: [email protected]
Web: chestnuttfeeds.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/saleschestnuttfeeds.co.uk
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 11 No 6, December 2023/January 2024
