Davis and Sikes Feed Mill
Owners: Brandon and Charles Sikes
Location: Scranton, Ark.
History: “My grandfather founded our Scranton, Ark., feed mill business in 1949. Then in 1974, my father joined him. When grandpa retired in 1984, my uncle was part of the business until 2008 when he also retired, which is when I entered. In the ‘50s and ‘60s the area was still heavily involved with row cropping so seed, seed blends, and hay and feed grinding were our mainstay. As farming in the area turned mostly to dairy in the ‘70s to the ‘90s, the business shifted to supplying mainly dairy feed later adding beef and equine feed as well. In the last three or four years the backyard hobby farmer has become our main customer raising poultry, pork, sheep and goats. We also service rabbit farms, turtle farms, crawfish farms and even ostrich breeders at one time.”
Products and Services: “Our business is custom feed mixing for a diverse customer base. Because we carry custom show feed, we have customers who come from as far as Hot Springs, Ark. We specialize in hard to find feeds, pharmaceutical products, small specialty items like a handheld emasculator and show items such as special halters and, therefore, have an excellent resource base that supplies these needs. We are also a Nutrena dealer. One area of current demand is specialized seed such as white clover and Austrian winter peas for dear plots. Organic producers come to us for organic supplies and products such as fish meal and kelp meal.
“Our services include selling and spreading lime and delivering bulk feed as well as liquid feed.”
Philosophy: “Our main goal is to spend quality face-to-face time with customers so when they leave here they understand exactly what they have bought. While some know what they want and need, others ask us for advice and we develop a mix to meet their needs. In order to do this successfully and efficiently, we must stay ahead of the market and that will promote our niche business for years to come.”
