Energy To Spare

A specially formulated feed ration from Southern States meets these dogs' requirements for energy.

Huntsman Tony Gammell won't feed his charges anything but Big Red® Endurance Formula dog food.

When it's mealtime at Keswick Hunt Club, Tony Gammell had better set a hearty spread. He has 60-plus hungry hounds to feed, and they're picky eaters. Chicken necks on the menu won't cut it.

"These are high-performance dogs, so we need a diet that they like to eat that also helps them hold their condition," Gammell says. He exclusively feeds Big Red® Endurance Formula dog food from Southern States.

Gammell, an expatriate Irishman, assumed management of the kennels located near Charlottesville, Va., about five years ago. He tried three different rations before settling on Big Red Endurance Formula. Now he won't feed anything else.

"These dogs hunt two days a week for periods of three to four hours each time, so they expend a lot of energy," he explains. "We need them to stay healthy and maintain their weight. None of the other products matched up with Big Red Endurance Formula."

Whitney Mason, field sales associate with Southern States retailer, Charlottesville Co-op, works with two large hunting clubs and three smaller ones. "Keswick is our largest kennel," she notes.

She points out that Big Red Endurance Formula was developed for high-performance sporting dogs. It contains 26% crude protein and 20% crude fat.

"It's a blend of high-quality proteins from poultry, fish and eggs; highly digestible carbohydrates; and carefully refined natural fats for high energy," Mason says. "Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids ensure that dogs have a beautiful, shiny coat."

The product label calls Big Red Endurance Formula "hi-octane fuel for hard-charging dogs." That, according to Gammell, aptly describes his American foxhounds. They operate on fast-forward at all times. Out for their daily morning exercise, they're off in all directions like a class of kindergartners turned loose for recess. But they respond quickly to Gammell's commands.

Tony Gammell and Whitney Mason are knee-deep in dogs as they escort these hounds during their daily exercise.

"Without the right food, these dogs aren't lively and their coats get dull," he says. "We used to have to supplement their diet with chicken necks for fat and energy. We haven't had to do that since we switched to Big Red Endurance Formula. I've recommended this feed to a dozen other hunting clubs, and they report the same results."

Calories in Big Red Endurance Formula are condensed to produce more energy with less feed, Mason notes. Gammell's dogs weigh an average of 55 pounds, yet they require only a little more than 1 pound of nuggets per day. Their bodies fully utilize feed nutrients, so there's less stool cleanup.

Southern States distributes Big Red feeds exclusively in Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. The co-op sells the ProBalanced brand, with equivalent nutritional benefits, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Introducing Big Red® Professional Dog Foods

A new line of Big Red feed is now available from Southern States. The Big Red Professional line is specially formulated to meet the unique needs of active and sporting dogs by providing the nutrition levels for maintaining top body condition. Big Red Professional features three energy-packed formulas: Adult Premium 22/12, Endurance 24/20 and High Energy Plus 26/18. The numbers in each formula represent the percentages of crude protein and crude fat in each formula. With such a variety of formulas, there's sure to be one ideally suited for your dog.