Anyone here ever visited their center? I'm just curious what it's really like. I'm stuck inside today and I'm bored so I've been reading. Got me wondering if any other feed company,  let's say, Bluebonnet has a "research facility" where they actually test all their feeds on actual horses, like Purina does apparently. If they do, how come they dont advertise that, like Purina does? I'm a die hard Bluebonnet fan for sure but I'm just wondering if Purina is a bit more backed by true research than others. I could be totally wrong but I just never hear or see anything like Purinas nutrition center. The thing I notice with people is either they are 100% Purina fans or absolutely hate it. 

I have nothing against Purina and like it too, use to feed it untill BlueBonnet came into my life

I have been through the center many times, it is ligit.  They also allow universities to come through it with their nutrition classes.  They also do a lot of field testing with their feeds as well.  As part of my time at a university getting my degree our string of horses, 105, were used in the field studies because we are a controlled environment and being able to track the horses usage daily and turnout.  Purina puts a lot of time in developing their feed.  

Thank you for your input. I wish I could take a tour! That's very interesting. I like how much research they put into their feeds. I found out not too long ago Purina fuels the Budweiser Clydesdales. (Imagine that feed bill) I just often wonder why so many people have such a huge dislike for purina feed. I read somewhere they arent a locked open label formula? But I notice that, the Ultium line has the ingredients printed right on the bag, no feed tag. And I wonder why, (in using Bluebonnet ) who says they are a locked formula uses feed tags on their feed.. is it cheaper to do that instead of using a tag? I'm just trying to figure out how all that works lol! Is there any other feed company out there that has the same level of research that purina does? 

If I had easy access to BB, I'd definitely try it based on the opinions of some of the folks on here I trust implicitly.  But I'm one of the die hard believers in Purina.  It was a lifesaver for my Doodlebug, which y'all have heard til you're probably sick of it!   I know there are people that don't like it, but I truly don't know what I would have done without it. . . 

I just switched a new very skinny horse to a purina feed, I'm so impressed with it and the change in I'm considering switching my entire feed program. 

I have been to the Purina center in the past. You need to realize that recommendations from there do not necessarily translate into commercial products. The bean counters have as much say in the formulations as the researchers do. Most companies today "least cost formulate" their products. Purina says that they do this because it is better to do so than to be stuck in a fixed formulation if you can't get those ingredients in the volume or quality that you need. This might be true, if you need ingredients by the train load. Smaller companies can have an advantage in being able to get enough of their fixed formulation ingredients and still have the highest quality of those ingredients. Beware of feeds that have a tear off tag rather than fixed ingredients listed on the bag itself. Those tags are easy to change as they vary what is in that bag, printed ingredients on the actual bag mean that what is in there will actually be the same every time.

So Bluebonnet, for instance, has feed tags. But they claim to be a fixed or locked feed company, correct? At least their Intensify line. Curious as to why they dont print on the bags for that line. I can only recall 2 feeds that have the ingredients printed right on the bag.. that's Renew Gold and Purina Ultium.  It really makes me wonder

Triple crown does as well. They do have a tag but on the actual bag is all the ingredeints. Atleast the Senior. 

So your saying beware of BlueBonnet feeds or any other feed because they have a tear off ingredent tag? And things can change!! Sorry I dont buy that, I can bet even if the ingredents is printed on the bags the ingredents can change too.

I'll have to look when I get home. I think I still have the bags in my trashcan in my feed room. I have a TC lite and a few bags of the BB sr therapy in there. I never looked at the actual bags lol! Also, the cube it alfalfa cubes come with a tag and I know those ingredients never change... I could see maybe the protein fluctuating but not the actual ingredients. Maybe the ingredients could change on the feed bag but then they'd have to reprint all bags instead of just a little tag ...?? Idk .. lol! I'm super curious now 

If you print the ingredients on the bag, you can not legally vary from those ingredients in that exact order (most used to least used). If you describe them as a “byproduct” you can vary anything within that definition and still be legal. The vast majority of “least cost formulated” use the byproducts loophole to substitute ingredients. If actual ingredients, not byproducts, are listed on the bag itself, other actual ingredients can’t be legally substituted in their place. Nor can the order that they are listed (formulation) be changed. Premium feeds were all fixed formulated, with ingredients printed on the bag 15 years ago. Very few are today. 

So I checked my feed bags I had trashed. The Triple Crown lite did indeed have the ingredients printed right on the bag and also a feed tag attached. The Bluebonnet Sr only had a tag. 

Years ago the Horse Journal sent out a questionnaire to companies that made horse feed, including Purina, Bluebonnet, Triple Crown, etc. asking about their safety procedures. Triple Crown and Bluebonnet and one other feed company were the only ones that responded. These three companies reported extensive safety protocols for safety of their feeds. No other companies even bothered to reply. This magazine did not accept any advertising so that they could give honest critiques of products horse people used. If I ever go back to feeding a feed it will be Bluebonnet if I can find it in my area. 

Bluebonnet is a wonderful company, they mill for Triple Crown as well (in my area) honestly theyve always been quick to answer any questions I have and believe me, I've had a lot! Very quick response time and follow up a few weeks later. I know they are a safe feed company, so no worries about contamination with any medicated feed. I was advised to try triple crown product by the BB rep and I recieved a $5 off coupon within a few days. My horses are loving the BB sr therapy. BB use to not be so easy to get here but ever since a new store opened they carry an extensive BB line along with their stride supplements. 

I don’t have an issue with Bluebonnet feeds. I often recommend them as a safe and innovative company with a good reputation for using quality ingredients.  As to weather or not they least cost formulate any of their line, really do not know. That said, if actual ingredients , not listed as “byproduct”, but as actual defined ingredients are printed on the bag, and no tear off tag, that product is fixed formulated. There is no leeway to change that formulation as to what is in that bag from most used ingredient to least used. To do so would make that bag illegal.