Whole Grains

Yes, Mule City Specialty Feeds cleans, bags, and prepares all whole grains on-site at our mill in Benson, North Carolina. We handle every part of the process in-house—from sourcing to packaging—which means we can monitor quality and consistency at every step.

Each batch of bagged corn, oats, barley, and wheat is carefully selected and processed to meet feed-grade standards. We make sure grains are clean, uniform, and free from excess dust, debris, or mold. 

This matters because unprocessed or poorly stored grains can introduce spoilage, reduce feed intake, or disrupt digestion—especially in animals with sensitive rumens or digestive tracts.

We also bag all grains in 50ln. sizes for convenient handling and storage, and every product is labeled clearly to help you integrate it safely into your ration program.

Whether you’re supplementing winter forage, creating a custom mix, or feeding animals on pasture, our whole grains give you clean, consistent energy and fiber without the surprises that come from bulk-commodity bins or inconsistent blends.

Just call us at 919-894-3626 or contact us online. We’re here to help you feed smarter, with feed that works the way you need it to.

Mule City’s whole grains—including bagged corn, oats, barley, and wheat—can be fed directly to livestock, but how you feed them depends on the species and your goals. 

While whole grains are clean and ready for use, some animals digest them more efficiently when the grain is processed in some way.

Here’s a general guide:

• Cattle and goats: Ruminants can digest whole grains like oats and barley fairly well, but cracking or rolling corn and wheat improves starch availability and reduces waste. Crimped or soaked grains are especially helpful when feeding finishing cattle or high-performance goats.

• Horses: Horses benefit from crimped or rolled oats and barley for easier digestion and better nutrient absorption. Whole corn is less ideal unless cracked or steam-flaked.

• Swine and poultry: These species require grains to be ground, cracked, or rolled to make nutrients accessible. Whole kernels can pass through the digestive tract with minimal breakdown if unprocessed.

• Sheep: Can handle some whole oats or barley, but cracked or ground grain supports better intake and efficiency—especially in lambs or lactating ewes.

Mule City offers pre-cracked corn and crimped grains in addition to whole options, so you can choose the right form for your setup without investing in expensive processing equipment.

Not sure which form your animals need? Just call us at 919-894-3626 or contact us online. We’re here to help you feed smarter, with feed that works the way you need it to.

Incorporating Mule City’s whole grains—like bagged corn, oats, barley, and wheat—into a balanced ration for mixed-species farms starts with understanding each species’ nutritional needs and digestive capacity. 

Whole grains can be a great energy source, but how you use them should vary based on species, age, and production goals.

Here’s a practical breakdown:

• Cattle and goats: Use whole or cracked grains like corn and barley to increase energy density in growing or finishing rations. Combine with forage or hay, and balance with a protein supplement like Maximum Supplement or a custom Mule City blend to ensure proper amino acid and mineral levels.

• Sheep: Include oats or barley as a safer grain option with higher fiber and lower starch than corn. Always avoid high-copper feeds and use a sheep-specific mineral mix to stay in balance.

• Horses: Prefer crimped or rolled oats and barley. Whole grains can be used selectively, but mixing with a forage-based concentrate helps prevent starch overload and digestive upset.

• Swine and poultry: Grains must be processed (cracked or ground) to unlock their nutrients. Whole grains can be added to on-farm mixes using Mule City’s base rations or vitamin-mineral premixes to meet species-specific requirements.

Mule City’s feeds are formulated with flexibility in mind. If you’re building a custom mixed-grain ration, we can help you match whole grains with the right balance of protein, fiber, minerals, and fat—without overfeeding or creating costly imbalances.

Just call us at 919-894-3626 or contact us online. We’re here to help you feed smarter, with feed that works the way you need it to.

Yes—Mule City Specialty Feeds offers both bulk grain options and custom-blended whole grain mixes tailored to your farm’s exact nutritional goals. 

Whether you’re managing beef cattle, dairy goats, poultry layers, or a multi-species setup, we can create a grain-based ration that hits your desired targets for protein, energy, fiber, and mineral balance.

Here’s how we can help:

• Custom energy blends: Need a corn-barley-oats mix with specific fat content? We’ll formulate the ratio and add ingredients like molasses, soybean oil, or extruded soy to increase energy density without sacrificing digestibility.

• Protein-balanced rations: For herds on high-fiber forages or winter pastures, we can combine whole grains with high-protein components like soybean meal, wheat middlings, or flaxseed to give your animals the right amino acid profile for growth, lactation, or condition.

• Bulk purchasing: If you need grain delivered by the pallet or in custom-ton batches, we can scale up production for larger operations. Everything is mixed and bagged on-site at our Benson, NC mill, which means your feed isn’t delayed or diluted through third-party processors.

• Species-specific tuning: Raising poultry, sheep, goats, and cattle together? We’ll adjust copper, selenium, and calcium levels to suit your mixed-herd needs—ensuring safety and performance across the board.

If you know what you want, we’ll help you build it. And if you’re not sure where to start, we’ll work with you to design a ration that fits your animals, your forage, and your goals.

Just call us at 919-894-3626 or contact us online. We’re here to help you feed smarter, with feed that works the way you need it to.

Mule City’s whole grains—like bagged corn, oats, barley, and wheat—offer a flexible and economical way to boost calories and maintain condition during times when quality forage is limited, such as in winter or drought conditions. 

While they don’t replace complete pelleted feeds, they serve as valuable tools to stretch hay supplies and support energy needs—especially when paired with supplements or forage-based blends.

Here’s how they compare:

• Energy: Whole grains like corn and barley are high in starch, making them excellent energy sources for livestock that need to maintain weight, produce milk, or handle cold weather. Corn, for example, is one of the most energy-dense ingredients available.

• Protein: Whole grains are lower in protein compared to complete pelleted feeds. For example, corn sits around 8–9% protein, while Mule City’s pelleted goat, cattle, or poultry feeds typically range from 12–18%. To fully replace a pelleted ration, you’d need to supplement with a protein-rich feed like soybean meal or a custom supplement blend.

• Fiber: Oats and barley provide more fiber than corn, making them gentler on the digestive system and better suited for animals prone to acidosis (like sheep or goats). However, they still fall short of the roughage found in hay or complete forage pellets.

• Minerals and vitamins: Whole grains offer little in terms of micronutrients. That’s where Mule City’s mineral-fortified supplements or custom mixes come in—to balance calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and other key elements your animals need during off-forage seasons.

In short, whole grains can be a smart, cost-effective component of your winter ration, but they work best when paired with forage and a mineral-balanced supplement—both of which Mule City can help you source or custom formulate.

Just call us at 919-894-3626 or contact us online. We’re here to help you feed smarter, with feed that works the way you need it to.