The process of getting the right blend of feed for your livestock has become a lot more scientific and it can be a complex procedure.
For many years now, people have taken greater care of what food they eat as they strive for greater longevity in their lives, by trying to stay as healthy as possible.
The same can now be said for livestock as farmers are taking far more care in what they feed their animals on a daily basis.
Many of Ireland’s mills go back through a number of generations in families and that is certainly the case for the family run business that we profile for this month’s edition of Irish Tractor & Agri.
O’Regan’s Mills in Millstreet, Co Cork has been in operation since 1919 when Andrew O’Regan first began crushing grain for farmers. Almost 100 years later and the O’Regan family are still supplying their services to the local farmers.
Andrew’s son Denis took over the business from his father and he brought the company to the next level as the cereals were compounded for the first time during his time in charge.
The third generation of the family is Denis’ son Jerry who along with his wife Aisling are directors of the business and they have continued the good family name of providing an excellent service to a large customer base.
“I took over the business in 1989. We have seen many ups and downs over the years including two fires, which almost ceased the business, but through hard work and determination, we kept going and we are still here today,” said Jerry.
Using the best ingredients, O’Regan’s Mills delivers quality animal feed to customers in Cork as Jerry revealed that their customer base covers a 30-mile radius.
“We supply directly to dairy, sheep and beef farmers in the locality. Many of our customers would be buying our feed off us for many, many decades, while all of our cereals, barley, wheat, oats are bought locally.
O’Regan’s Mills today manufactures a wide range of products for the animal industry, making quality feeds for beef cattle, dairy cattle, calves, weanlings, heifers, lambs and ewes.
“We’d have products for every animal at every stage of development, from a calf up to a fattened beef animal and we can advise farmers on the best feeds and the best diets for their animals at every stage of its development.”
Of course these days, there are stringent regulations in place when it comes to quality and animal welfare. Jerry revealed that this means a lot more paper work, but he admitted that it was all for the benefit of the industry.
“We are Bord Bia approved, so we have everything in order and there is full traceability on the cereals from when they are brought here until the end up on a farmyard. Yes, there is a lot of paperwork, but once you get everything in order, it is easier to keep on top of it and keep all paperwork up to date. Aisling does some of the book work and she is a great help.”
“My father has used a lot of his own practical knowledge combined with my degree in Dairy Science to come up with the best-performing feeds and we always stay ahead of what’s needed by our customers.
“We know what works and we know what’s going on in farmyards. We know our customers and we have built up personal relationships with them. We’d regularly go out in the trucks ourselves to meet them and to discuss their needs and how we can achieve a good diet using quality ingredients.
“We tailor our products to suit the animal and the time of year, making sure the feed has the right balance and ensure that there are adequate amounts of energy, fibre and protein in the diet. We offer advice and management hints regarding feeds.”
The business has exceeded all expectations in many respects, but this has not been an overnight success story by any means. Nothing has happened by chance… “It has been a great success story, but a lot of hard work has gone into it and there have been a lot of sleepless nights along the way,”
Jerry revealed that there location won’t allow them to expand the business, but that has not stopped them from improving their service.
“We are continually investing into the business and looking at ways at becoming more efficient at what we do. We are located in Millstreet and there is just no room for expansion, so efficiency is our target.”
The abolishment of the milk quota has seen an upturn in business as dairy farmers increase the amount of cows that they are milking.
“There is a higher demand for feeds as producers can up performance levels that way without leaving themselves open to the vagaries of the weather by increasing the volume of cows.
“There is a massive opportunity for expansion,” states Jerry. “Dairy farmers have a great opportunity to cut loose now and that sector looks set to change drastically.”
O’Regan’s Mills
Millstreet
Co Cork.
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 7, October/November 2017
