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Profile
Education
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
Background
Dr. Ballam and his team have developed a range of highly successful new products for a variety of animals, including companion animals, exotics, small animals and birds. He also supports the wildlife and fish businesses.
With more than 30 years' experience in animal nutrition and management, Dr. Ballam and his team have helped develop the reformulation of Purina® Layena®, Start & Grow® and Flock Raiser® Premium Poultry Feeds to meet the growing demand for wholesome, high-quality vegetarian poultry diets for backyard chickens. Dr. Ballam has also helped develop the Purina® Flock Block®, an innovative feed designed to naturally restore the pecking instinct in backyard flocks.
“The research we conduct at the Purina Animal Nutrition Center not only provides us with innovative products, but also provides the expertise to be able to deliver the very best health and management recommendations for taking care of the animals we feed. In addition we also work to make sure each diet is easy and convenient for the animal owner to feed.”
Dr. Ballam’s and team research expertise and interests include:
- Digestive health
- Palatability
- Immune function and support
- Poultry nutrition and its impact on egg production, cleanliness and shell strength
- Health of native deer populations and nutrition’s impact on the size and mass of deer and their antlers
- Reproduction and growth of young fawns
- Pond and water management’s impact on the fish population, along with nutrition’s impact on fish growth
- Growth rates and nutrition’s impact on the efficiency of both meat and dairy goats
- Nutritional factors that impact the health and welfare of rabbits
- Nutrition’s impact on genetic expression and resulting phenotype of show animals - their structure, conformation, fleshing, hair and skin condition, and mobility
“I am passionate about providing the very best nutrition for all the animals we feed. And I have had the good fortune to work with a great team of scientists that work with a wide variety of animals from small pets and backyard poultry, to small ruminants, show and wildlife”, says Dr. Ballam.
Dr. Ballam earned his master’s degree in animal science from the University of British Columbia and a doctoral degree in animal nutrition from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. His work has been published in more than 15 peer-reviewed journals.