Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch opens new feed mill

Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch this week unveiled its new US$11 million state-of-the-art feed production facility.

With 6 million hens housed, their owners, the Herbruck family, have become the largest egg producer in Michigan and the 12th largest producer in the US. The company uses 7,000 tonnes of feed per week.

After a breakfast in which several hundred guests were fed McDonald’s Egg McMuffins made with eggs produced by Herbruck’s hens, the stage in a massive climate-controlled storage barn drew a parade of politicians and dignitaries who sang the Herbruck’s praises.

The feed mill will allow the company to deliver feed directly to 3 million of its 6 million hens that are housed next door. That alone will eliminate 75 trucks trips per week, company officials said.

The new facility is actually two feed mills that operate side-by-side. One of the mills makes organic feeds while its sister facility is used to make conventional feed.

The new facility started producing feed for conventional laying flocks last month and is gearing up to produce organic feed this month, Herbruck said. It will replace several older facilities and allow the company to takes its main feed production facility off of its 24/7 work schedule, he said.

Herbruck’s has been producing organic eggs since the 1990s and is a major franchisee and distributor for the Eggland’s Best brand. It also supplies organic eggs for Meijer, Sam’s Club and other organic brands