Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to BALDWIN FEEDS, a CFIA inspected and USDA approved, 3rd generation, family owned and operated raw food manufacturer. We are a new name in the retail end of the RAW pet food business, but certainly not new to the handling and processing of raw animal foods. Perhaps you are new yourself to the concept of feeding a raw meat product to your pet and have some questions? Here are a few that we have heard over the years.

Why should I feed RAW food to my pet rather than traditional dry, processed kibble?

Dogs are carnivores; descendents from wolves. Nature has biologically evolved, tuned and designed your pet to eat raw meat, period. A dog’s digestive system was never meant to digest processed or dry food containing grains and assorted additives. Chemicals and preservatives are required to make the dry food both palatable to the animal and convenient for the owner. But is a steady diet of dry dog food natural or healthy for your pet? What would a steady diet of nothing but fast food do to us humans? Yes, they are both very convenient in this busy world of ours, but at what cost to our health and our pets health? You don’t have to look very far these days to see just what affect not following a decent diet is having on us. How about your dog?

Okay, that sounds reasonable and I think I will give the RAW diet a try. Why should I use BALDWIN Feeds products when there are so many other choices out there?

We have the experience most other raw pet food companies envy. Our family has been raising mink and thus handling, processing and feeding raw products to thousands of our own animals since the early 60’s, long before feeding raw food to pets was “fashionable”. So with close to 50 years of experience, we know what it takes to handle raw meat products safely.

Baldwin Feeds has also been selling poultry products to many other mink ranches in Mid-West North America since the mid-80s. We are now providing poultry products to over 400,000 animals and have yearly sales of over 4,000,000 pounds. With the health of this many animals, including 10,000 of our own, and the money they are worth at stake here, we take every measure possible to insure safe, quality products. Our family and dozens of other families rely on it. These very same products are what we would be selling to you for your pet.

Dog sled racers and dog tour operators from the Yukon, Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have also been successfully using our products for many years. This customer base continues to grow every year as mushers see how well their competitor's dogs are doing on our feed. In fact, in the past 3 years, 2 of the winning teams at the World Championships held in The Pas, Manitoba were feeders of our products.

Our products are as fresh as you can get. It is literally only 24 hours from “feather to freezer”. Our refrigerated truck hauls between 20,000 and 30,000 pounds of freshly put up chicken necks and backs every morning, which is then processed and sent into our freezers that same afternoon.

Where do you get the poultry from?

Our supplier is Granny’s Poultry, situated in Blumenort, Manitoba, a short 45 minute drive from our facility. They are a co-operative owned by a number of local area, family owned and operated poultry farms. Fully incorporated in May 1979, and with a history dating back over 50 years, Granny’s Poultry Cooperative, with an annual revenue exceeding $125 million dollars, are “the largest chicken and turkey processor in their region”, and “one of the most technologically advanced poultry processors in Canada.” Their focus has always been on producing only the highest quality products.

Quality and food safety extend to the processing portion, an area often overlooked. The Government of Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) certifies Granny’s as meeting all the criteria for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems -- an internationally recognized standard approach used to take a proactive approach to food safety. In addition, the company also hires contract health and safety consultants to overlook all aspects of the process.

Are there any steroids, hormones or antibiotics used in the poultry you process?

NO! Like all other poultry farms in Canada, chickens and turkeys are not given hormones or steroids at Granny’s. The use of these drugs in these animals has been banned since the 1960s and this is strictly enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

From the Canadian Animal Health Institute: Producers are aware that they have a major responsibility to ensure that animal health products must be out of an animal’s system, according to the product’s label instructions, before the animal or products from the animal are sent to market. To ensure that food marketed is safe for human consumption, producers must:

Always Observe Withdrawal Times Prior to Marketing: Withdrawal times are treatment free periods that are established by the Veterinary Drugs Directorate, Health Canada. This treatment free period differs for each drug and must be observed before the animal or products from the animal can be used for human consumption.

At BALDWIN FEEDS we are continually striving for perfection and welcome your input. Please contact us with your comments or suggestions.

BALDWIN FEEDS is proudly owned and operated by - Kelly, Kerry and Renee Baldwin.