Dissatisfied with the way a local mill was grinding wheat and cornmeal for home use, Mr. Bob decided he’d try his own hand at the milling business. Stone Burr Mill, located on the Hall family farm in Georgetown, gave a young Bob Hall Jr. an after-school job throughout his childhood. There, weighing and filling bags by hand, he and his father processed wheat and corn for local neighbors and small grocery stores throughout the area.

When a local feed mill came up for sale in 1964, Mr. Bob and his wife, the late Mrs. Bonnie Hall, who passed away in 2017, saw an opportunity and purchased the business. For nearly thirty years, Farmers Feed Mill supplied commodity feedstuffs to the area’s dairy and beef cattle farms. During that time, Lexington urbanized, the landscape of Kentucky agriculture evolved, and Thoroughbred racing became a thriving industry.

Farmers Feed Mill evolved as well, introducing the Hallway Feeds brand to supply Thoroughbred farms with the highest quality, custom-manufactured feeds. Shortly thereafter, Hallway Feeds moved to a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility, where it is currently located. 

By the time Mr. Bob graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1953, he was already an accomplished and experienced agriculturalist. For the next decade, he honed his expertise on purebred Angus cattle farms in Kentucky and New York, as a veterinary food inspector for the Army, and as an award-winning beef cattle herdsman for the University of Kentucky.

After leaving the University in 1964 he and his wife, Bonnie, purchased Farmers Feed Mill, a small multi-species feed business in Lexington, Kentucky. The mill, located in a converted lumber yard serviced the area's farms including dairy, beef cattle, sheep, and hogs for nearly 30 years.

During that time, Lexington urbanized, the landscape of Kentucky agriculture evolved, and Thoroughbred racing became a thriving industry. In 1983 the mill introduced the Hallway Feeds brand to supply Thoroughbred farms and racing stables with custom feeds. In 1986 Hallway Feeds moved to a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility, where it continues to operate today.

Hallway Feeds has fueled 16 Kentucky Derby winners since 1997, including Triple Crown heroes American Pharoah and Justify, and at least one winner of every North American Grade 1 race, the highest echelon of the sport.

As the demand for specialized horse feed grew, Hallway Feeds spearheaded the scientific advancement of equine nutrition. Through research partnerships with top universities around the country, and with Kentucky Equine Research, Hallway Feeds has remained at the forefront of equine nutrition, continually developing innovative feed and supplements for customers around the world.

Hallway Feeds is now the only family-owned and operated feed company dedicated to the horse industry.

In the 1970s, Dr. John P. Baker, chairman of the Department of Animal Sciences at University of Kentucky, began working with individual horse farms to recommend specific vitamin and mineral levels for broodmare, weanling, yearling, and stallion diets. 

Utilizing the unique manufacturing capabilities at Farmers Feed Mill, Dr. Baker and the farms worked to produce custom nutritional rations. In the years since, Hallway Feeds has cultivated close relationships with other independent nutrition consultants, universities, and Kentucky Equine Research to formulate the most scientifically advanced equine feeds available.

For 20 years Farmers Feed Mill was a service provider, supplying feed ingredients and custom manufactured feeds to local stockmen. During that period employees developed products unique to the company that were not specifically developed as a customer’s product. Now with “products” and not just “custom feeds” a brand name was needed. For months, the team considered many ideas, eventually deciding Hallway Feeds was the right choice. The company began using the original seal logo in the mid-1980s. Hallway Feeds represented the family name Hall and signified feeding the Hall-way. “Feed the right way every day, feed Hallway!”

Operating for years on Price Avenue in Lexington, Mr. Bob saw the need for a newer, more capable manufacturing facility for his company. Despite initial setbacks due to limited space, Mr. Bob and his team identified a bare piece of woodland off the newly created Loudon Avenue that would become the new homebase for Hallway Feeds. Site preparation and construction commenced in 1984 and the move into our current facility was completed in 1986.

Recognizing the need for something new and different in the world of household pets, Farmers Feed Mill, Inc. opened its first location of Pet Pantry on Southland Dr. in January of 1987. A retail store devoted to pet foods and supplies, it began operating on the cusp of the pet food and supply boom. It grew quickly and met Lexington’s pet owners with great favor.

A second location was opened in 1988 at what was the “far end” of Richmond Road, and as Lexington continued to grow and develop, Pet Pantry benefitted from its convenient location for pet owners. Anticipating continued sprawl in that area, a third location was opened on Saron Dr. in 1991.

The name changed to IncrediPet in 1997 and continued to operate under that name until the stores were sold in 2017 to Feeders Supply Company based in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 1990s brought revolutionary change to the equine feeding industry. Studies conducted by universities and research firms to better understand the use of both oil (fats) and soluble fibers in horse feeds led to scientific breakthroughs that opened up a new world of possibility for equine nutrition. Working with Kentucky Equine Research and researchers at the University of Kentucky, Hallway Feeds’ team was among the first to understand and harness the revolutionary improvements available to performance horses using these novel ingredients. Formulated using these innovative findings, Hallway Feeds Race 13 and Prep 14 were developed to replace traditional forms of feeding with easier, more accurate and reliable feeds.

Growing success in Central Kentucky generated demand for Hallway products outside of the Bluegrass State. Mr. Russel Page of Rapco Feeds in Allentown NJ enlisted our services and became Hallway Feeds’ first out-of-state dealer in 1991.

Distribution of Hallway Race 13 to California began 10 bags at a time as a special request from Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

After suffering from performance and condition issues, one of his horses, Lyin to the Moon, was sent from Santa Anita to Crystal Springs Farm for rejuvenation and fed Race 13 to aid her recovery. Upon returning to California, Mandella was so impressed by her improved condition that he initially doubted it was the same horse. Despite initial reservations to a change in diet, Mandella adopted the Hallway program and became the first trainer in Southern California to fully transition his barn to Hallway Feeds.

In 1992, Lyin to the Moon became the first Thoroughbred winner to utilize Hallway Race 13. Lyin to the Moon continued to compete until 1995, achieving multiple graded stakes victories across 26 starts and accumulating career earnings totaling $371,175.

Horse owner Dr. Carlos Stelling boarded thoroughbred mares at Loch Lea Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Marveling at the impressive results yielded by using Staminoats for their nutrition program, Stelling desired to have the feed available to horses at his residence in Venezuela and became our first international export customer. After this initial sale, we soon expanded our international relationships into the Middle East, Asia, Caribbean, and Europe.

At the request of Kentucky Equine Research, who earned the contract to be the equine feed supplier to the 1996 Summer Olympics, Hallway Feeds had the honor of being selected as the exclusive dietary manufacturer to fuel many of these legendary equine athletes.

After Hallway Feeds’ racing products showed up on the racetrack for the first time in the early 90s, it didn’t take long for them to find their way to the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle. Bob Baffert was well on his way to making a name for himself and won his first Kentucky Derby in 1997 with Silver Charm, utilizing Race 13 for all his horses.

Since then we have fed an additional 15 Kentucky Derby winners.

• 1997 Silver Charm
• 1998 Real Quiet
• 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus
• 2002 War Emblem
• 2005 Giacomo
• 2006 Barbaro
• 2008 Big Brown
• 2011 Animal Kingdom
• 2013 Orb
• 2014 California Chrome
• 2018 Justify
• 2019 Country House
• 2020 Authentic
• 2021 Mandaloun and Medina Spirit
• 2024 Mystik Dan

In one of our earliest seven-figure sales, the yearling Fusaichi Pegasus was sold for an impressive $4 million, a milestone that underscored our ongoing commitment to excellence in equine nutrition.

November 2000 marked Hallway Feeds’ first international manufacturing partnership, when representatives of Saracen Horse Feed from the United Kingdom signed an agreement to begin manufacturing Hallway Feeds products in February 2001. This 20+ year arrangement allowed Hallway-inspired products to become a prominent fixture not only in the UK but also in other thoroughbred jurisdictions across Europe.

Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER), commonly known as tying up, has been a management issue for performance horses for generations. Similar conditions like PSSM and EPSM pose significant challenges for horses and caretakers.

To help mitigate these issues, Dr. Stephanie Valberg of the Michigan State University, in conjunction with Kentucky Equine Research, developed ReLeve to be used as a feed product with daily exercise to reduce muscle disorders and metabolic syndromes.

Originally created as a custom mix for a Thoroughbred trainer and then adapted for use in the sport horse industry, Fibrenergy remains one of our fastest-growing and highest-selling feeds. Fibrenergy is recognized for its benefits in nearly every discipline and in locations around the world.

To satisfy increased demand and continue driving the business forward, in 2002 Hallway Feeds began planning for our first fully automated packaging system. In 2003 a state-of-the-art packaging line was installed and increased production output by 20%, helping us fulfill our mission of supplying the best in equine nutrition to customers around the world.

When the time came to celebrate Hallway Feeds’ 50th anniversary, the team agreed that finding a good way to give back to the community would be more meaningful than any party. We partnered with the nonprofit Honor Flight to sponsor the very first flight transporting veterans from Lexington to Washington, D.C. to see the monuments erected in their honor and for the brave men and women whose lives were lost serving their country.

Service to local, state, and national organizations has always been an integral part of our culture at Hallway Feeds. One example is our team members’ involvement in the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to the business, legislative and regulatory interests of the U.S. animal food industry and its suppliers. In 2017, our Vice President, Lee Hall, was named as the Chairman of AFIA after serving a number of years on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

When our first automated packaging system was reaching the end of its life, we started investigating new technologies to replace the aging system and in 2018 installed a new, cutting-edge robotic packaging system. This innovation further improved productivity, enhanced accuracy, and further cemented our commitment to working at the forefront of our industry.

In recognition of his more than 70 years of service to animal agriculture, in 2019 Mr. Bob was selected for induction into the Saddle and Sirloin Club, the livestock industry's highest honor, for “a Lifetime of Exceptional Service to Animal Agriculture.” This elite club pays homage to those who have made the greatest contributions to the livestock industry. 

Mr. Bob's portrait, painted by famed artist Richard Halstead, was added to the organization’s exclusive gallery in the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

In 2023, Hallway Feeds achieved a milestone in its journey toward sustainability by completing the installation of a state-of-the-art solar array. This impressive project now offsets 75% of our energy needs through renewable sources. By harnessing the power of solar energy, Hallway Feeds not only demonstrates its commitment to sustainability but also sets a powerful example for the industry.

For 20 years, Farmers Feed Mill operated as a service provider supplying feed ingredients and custom-manufactured feeds to local stockmen. As the company evolved to offer a wider range of consumer products, a new brand name was chosen to represent and carry the Hall family name forward into a new era.

As the demand for specialized horse feed grew, Hallway Feeds spearheaded the scientific advancement of equine nutrition. Through research partnerships with top universities around the country, and with Kentucky Equine Research, Hallway Feeds remains at the forefront of equine nutrition, continually developing innovative feed and supplements for customers at home and around the world.

The results have been nothing short of remarkable. Hallway Feeds has had the great pleasure of fueling 16 Kentucky Derby winners and at least one winner of every current Grade 1 North American race, and is now the only family-owned and operated feed company dedicated to the horse industry.