We live in the heart of the cereal-producing region of Castile. The land is the origin of everything we are: from the sowing of the cereals and the production of our own feed to the raising of select Duroc pig specimens.
We work our land and we rely on locally-produced cereals to feed our animals.
The land that we work and farm also feeds our animals.
Video of our feed on our YT channel:
What cereals do we use to produce feed at Agroalimentaria Chico?
Nutrition is the basis for the healthy growth of our Duroc and Iberian pigs. Therefore, at our feed mill SAT Hermanos Chico, we choose the best cereals.
The special conditions of the land and the weather in the Ribera del Duero region, provide our cereals with the characteristics that set them apart. They are top-quality cereals with which we produce additive-free feed that nourishes our Duroc pigs, therefore obtaining tastier pork cuts.
The main raw materials that we use are:
- Cereals and by-products
- Barley
- Wheat
- Maize
- Wheat bran
- Rye
- Oats
- Oilseeds / Protein-rich raw materials
- Soybean
- Rapeseed
- Sunflower meal
- Pulses
- Peas
- Tubers and by-products
- Beet pulp
- Minerals
- Phosphate
- Carbonate
- Salt
We also add soybean oil, fat, amino acids and different supplements to the different feeds, depending of the growth stage of the animals.
Each stage has its particular requirements. Therefore, certain feeds are produced with essential oils from natural products and ingredients that cause an increase in the intestinal flora, that favour digestibility, etc.
How do we produce the feed for our Duroc and Iberian pigs?
All our raw materials are produced locally.
When, for reasons related to production, we are forced to purchase products and cannot buy them from farmers or wholesalers in the Ribera del Duero region, we resort to nearby distributors to avoid the contamination of the environment caused by the transport.
For example, we purchase beet pulp from Olmedo, maize from Leon or Galicia, sunflower meal and peas from Castile-La Mancha…
The feed production process
- The raw materials, once harvested, arrive to our premises in lorries, and a first visual quality control is carried out (absence of pests, moulds, clean appearance…).
- After, the lorry is sampled in several points, and they are tested with a multianalyser (NIR) that provides us with a series of parameters that must fall within the indicators that we have established as optimal.
- If the raw materials are OK, we accept them, and the feed mill assigns them a storage silo.
- Afterwards, a recipe or formula is activated at the feed mill that will automatically dispense the required amount of each raw material.
- The result of this combination of ingredients goes through a series of mills that grind the grains and produce meal. The meal then goes into a mixer and then to a pelletizing press.
- In the pelletizing press, the meal comes into contact with vapour and then becomes pelletized, thereby producing the feed (pellet).
- To end the process, each feed produced is assigned a destination silo, where it is stored until the lorry arrives. It is then loaded and then distributed it to the different farms.
Video of the feed mill on our YT channel:
Animal nutrition is one of our pillars
For us, the health and wellbeing of our Duroc and Iberian pigs comes first.
Because of this, nutrition is one of our pillars, and thanks to SAT Hermanos Chico we ensure that our animals are healthy and their meat has a special flavour and characteristics.
Our feed mill has a limited capacity for the storage of raw materials and feed, and therefore the turnover is high. This favours the avoidance of problems with moulds and rancidity. The fresher the feed, the greater its quality and the better it is for the animals.
Feeds vary depending of the growth stage of each animal. Therefore, we have:
- Specific feeds for piglets (creep feed, pre-starter, starter)
- Growing/fattening feed. Depending on the weight of the animals, the kind of feed is changed.
- Specific feeds for gilts
- Feed for boars
- Feeds for pregnant and lactating sows.
In all these cases, the energy, protein, fibre, etc. contents vary depending on the needs of the animals regarding these constituents.
Our perspective on the future is through sustainable development. This key principle implies a total control of all the pig value chain that guarantees the sustainability of all our actions, from the production of feed to the production and distribution of our Duroc products.
