# Purina is Pathetic



## M.L. McKnight (Jul 17, 2014)

I kept a bull calf off of one of my cows that was born this January, he is showing signs of being something special so I decided to keep him here and buck him when he is old enough. In my opinion he was never a calf but was instead born as a BULL!
Well, in March I decided to start him on a bit of his own feed (*he's been eating feed/hay and drinking water since he was a day and a half old). I asked a few fellow farmers what they suggested I feed him and they told me to get some 'Purina Stocker/Grower', they said it worked well and provided proper nutrients especially for bulls. They'd used it before and were pleased with the results, normally they'd start a calf on basic creep feed but since mine had been eating for so long that it wouldn't hurt him to go ahead and start getting the stocker/grower.
I went to TSC and picked up a bag the next time I got feed at the COOP and brought it home. I opened the bag and as I poured some in his bowl I found a chunk of hard green plastic! It had sharp edges and all I could think about was how it could have stuck in his throat, pierced one of his stomachs or intestines- I got heated but cooled my jets and contacted Purina.
I told them what happened, sent them the picture of the chunk of plastic, sack of feed, bar code and my receipt. A few days later I got a message back and after emailing back and forth- nothing happened. I was told that they would contact me so they could pick up the remaining feed and test it, I really thought something was going to happen but nope! Not so much as a peep!
Fast forward to last week, I kept the remaining feed in my cabinet with my syringes and wormer- after seeing it for several months, I decided to contact Purina again. I once again told them what happened, asked why no one had picked up the feed and resent the picture of that plastic. They contacted me the next day and said that they bought the company that my sack of feed came from and then thanked me for the picture!
Now if that don't beat all! Purina-"Oh customer, you have a problem? I see, well we bought the company that sacked your feed and thanks again for that picture! IF you could just see that we don't give two squirts about you that'd be greeeeeeat." (Imagine that in the voice of the manager from "Office Space")
I sent Purina an email and told them that I'd repeat this story to ALL of my friends and every farmer I happen to shoot the bull with when we get on the topic of feed. I told Purina that I'd never buy any of their products AT ALL and that I had no use for them.
Use Purina products if you want, I'll never recommend them.

In case you're wondering, I have been feeding my bull a mix of cottonseed meal and all stock pellets. He gets a tad in the evening and spends the day in the pasture eating all of the grass he can hold.


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## animalmom (Jul 17, 2014)

Way back when it was Ralston Purina, in St. Louis, it was a company that knew animals and ran the business for animals.  It might have been a joke, all their feed being named like Cat Chow, Dog Chow, Monkey Chow, Lion Chow, but it was good feed.

Since they were bought by Nestle the customer service and product has gone way down.  I had several emails with one of their "specialists" regarding various bird feed and wanted to know if I could feed one of their products to my geese.  You would have this person was speaking some alien language for all the sense her replies made... gave up after a while and figured something out on my own.

They don't know animals and they don't care that they don't know.


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## jk47 (Jul 17, 2014)

Since the company wont to anything have you tried asking the feed store you bought it from they might take it back and give you a new one or store credit  because it could of been a one time thing  and you could get your money back or a differnt brand


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## M.L. McKnight (Jul 17, 2014)

I just chalked that one up to being a lesson learned. When you think about it, anytime you can learn a lesson for under $10 it is really a bargain.


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## greybeard (Jul 19, 2014)

Hard to tell by the picture, but the plastic bits look like something that may have come from one of the milling machines or from a conveyor roller.  Stuff happens--machines break, especially nowadays when so much of equipment is made with plastic parts and the offending sin isn't that it happened but the fact that Purina didn't get back with you on it to your satisfaction. I sometimes buy that same feed, and am pretty sure the description of "all Natural" doesn't include plastic. 
Some intresting reading from a Texas case law suit against Purina for metal contaminated cattle feed:
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/tx-court-of-appeals/1322271.html

(I prefer Nutrena brand myself if I have to buy sacked feed)


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## M.L. McKnight (Jul 19, 2014)

I don't want anything from Purina and I know something can just chip off and find its way into a sack of feed down the line, but I'll be darned if I'll give any business to a company that just brushes me off!
I won't recommend Purina brand products to anyone ever, their bottom line won't be hurt by me when its all said and done but in time even the smallest seed can bear quite a bit of fruit.


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## happy acres (Jul 19, 2014)

I've never used Purina myself, I use the local brand of feed from the co-op.


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## greybeard (Jul 20, 2014)

M.L. McKnight said:


> I don't want anything from Purina and I know something can just chip off and find its way into a sack of feed down the line, but I'll be darned if I'll give any business to a company that just brushes me off!
> I won't recommend Purina brand products to anyone ever, their bottom line won't be hurt by me when its all said and done but in time even the smallest seed can bear quite a bit of fruit.


I don't blame ya.  The fact that they lied to you and failed to follow up would irritate me too. 
Purina today  isn't the old Checkerboard Square company we used to know.


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## OneFineAcre (Jul 20, 2014)

happy acres said:


> I've never used Purina myself, I use the local brand of feed from the co-op.



Me too.  I have two options of a local mix.  One option I can just pick up a few bags.  Option 2 i have to call in advance and they mix the feed when you order, but I have to get 500lbs at a time.


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## Farmer Connie (Dec 22, 2017)

animalmom said:


> I had several emails with one of their "specialists" regarding various bird feed and wanted to know if I could feed one of their products to my geese.


I realize that this is a real old thread I am replying to but this  may help future members who stumble upon your post and have the same concerns...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/nutrition-sponsored-by-purina-poultry.16189/
Sorry about jumping in 4 years later and after the fact..


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