Selecting a Show Feed
The Basics:
Show lambs eat hay, water, and a grain mix that is often referred to as a "show feed." These feed formulations are designed to support animals being prepared for livestock shows. They target nutrition to enhance muscle development, finish, hair/wool quality, and overall bloom.
Show feed will likely be your biggest expense category outside of purchasing the animal itself. There are definitely feed brands that are considered "better" than others. Like anything, you'll find a variety of opinions and experiences. Whichever feed you select, it needs to fit the following criteria:
-
Easily Accessible: Pick a feed that you can purchase easily. What stores are you close to on a regular basis that will make picking up feed easy for you?
-
Affordable: Feed is an important part of raising a show lamb to reach its potential. That said, budgets are real and we all have to operate within our budgets.
-
Quality: Some factors that determine the quality of a show feed include palatability (how it tastes), freshness, and the nutrition analysis. Lots of brands of show feed are fairly similar on the nutrition analysis. The freshness might vary based on where it is packaged and how far it travels. The ingredients will vary by brand and can impact the palatability.
Keep these 3 things in mind to pick the feed that is the best fit for you. Here are some brands we have either fed ourselves or have had fed to lambs in our 4-H groups. Any of these options are a good feed.
Buckle Up
Available at ET Feeds in Enoch or Online
This is a brand from Leland Mills located in Spanish Fork, Utah. We began feeding Buckle Up in 2021. It's historically been a good balance of quality and affordability for us. The challenge we have found with this feed is that it is dry (even when fresh) and it has a a lot of "fines" (feed in a powder form) and lambs don't clean it up.
High Noon
Look for a Dealer
This brand is considered the premium feed by many in the show industry. It is very good. The cost can be significantly more from feed stores that carry it. If you can find a dealer near you, sometimes their prices are less.
Sunglo
Available at CAL Ranch or shipped to your door from Chewy.com or Tractor Supply..
Look for the red and black bag. This is one of the most affordable feeds available. It's moist and very palatable. We did a feed trial for a science fair experiment with Sunglo and Buckle Up in March/April 2026. The lambs on Sunglo never left feed and gained slightly more in the trial. Paired with the fact that it's the cheapest price per bag, it's our pick right now.
Purina Show Chow
Available at IFA, CAL Ranch, or shipped from Chewy.com
Look for the purple bag. Make sure you pick the textured feed formulation and not the pellet formula. A great feed that's usually in the medium range of prices.
Show Rite
Available at IFA
This one is a pink bag. It's a high quality feed that's typically on the higher side of prices.