Kayla Wheeler-Dunlap displays one of the many Purina products she carries. Photo by Connie Voss

BIGGS, CA (MPG) - Wheeler Ranch and Feed has earned a special award from the Purina Company.

Kayla Wheeler-Dunlap made the decision to start carrying Purina feeds a year and a half ago. She reached out to Purina mainly because she needed the wider variety of feeds that the company offers. Customers wanted to be able to buy feed for all their stock and pets in one stop. Purina produces feed for smaller animals such as rats, tortoises and koi.

Since Wheeler-Dunlap started selling Purina products, the sales have steadily grown, which is a game-changer for the store. All the Wheeler Ranch employees worked hard to make this happen, according to Wheeler-Dunlap.

There are three tiers of the awards for growth: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The Chow Honor Council meets once a year to determine which of the dealers have earned the award. Wheeler Ranch earned the silver level.

Kayla Wheeler-Dunlap and her son, Davis, in Hawaii hold the Silver Award from Purina. Photo by Jacob Dunlap

Wheeler-Dunlap’s family was rewarded with an all-expense-paid celebration in Hawaii to receive the award as Purina’s way of saying thank you, according to Wheeler-Dunlap.

“As a dealer, you can only dream of hearing that from a company,” Wheeler-Dunlap said. She interacted with many other dealers there and came back “with a ton of ideas” for the store. “I learned something from everyone.”

In addition to Purina, the store offers other feed brands, including some that are locally grown and milled: Nutrena, Cowboy’s Choice, Bar ALE, Oakman and Kruse. Cowboy’s Choice is especially popular and comes in 1,000-pound totes. There are also different types of hay, straw and shavings available.

The store serves 40 to 50 customers a day. Wheeler Ranch has been in business for 25 years. It was started by Wheeler-Dunlap’s parents, Kari and Doug Wheeler. They had the idea of starting a boarding stable and having a feed store there for convenience.

In addition to feed, part of the store is devoted to tack, pet and veterinary supplies and clothing. The Wheelers built the barn with stalls and outdoor paddocks. There’s also a tack room, horse trailer parking and a lighted arena. The cost of boarding is $400 per month for the barn (with stall cleaning) and $300 to $375 for the paddocks.

When the weather is excessively hot, the employees “go above and beyond” by setting up sprinklers to cool off the horses.

Many tack items, pet and veterinary supplies, as well as clothing can be found in the ranch store. Photo by Connie Voss

“Not many places would do that,” Wheeler-Dunlap said.

Events are held there such as roping and sorting cattle. The ranch also hosted a fundraiser for Avie’s Place in Oroville.

Visitors will also see chickens, goats and some miniature horses. The hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays.

Wheeler Ranch and Feed is at 3247 Smith Ave., Biggs. The phone number is 530-868-1717.