Black Hawk Information
Black Hawk is an Australian pet food brand that gained popularity and success by offering a higher standard of pet food than many of its competitors.
This higher standard is thanks to the vast depth of experience they have on their team, which includes professionals in nutritional science and experienced veterinarians.
They were initially an Australian-owned and manufactured brand, but in recent years they were purchased by MasterPet, which is New Zealand-owned.
Despite this, their recipes are still produced in Australia, in a facility in New South Wales.
Black Hawk products can be purchased from a large number of physical pet food stores in Australia. In addition, Black Hawk recipes can be purchased from select online retailers such as PetCircle and PetStock.
Black Hawk Product Range
Dog Food
Black Hawk has a small range of dog food recipes, all of which are dry food recipes.
Black Hawk chooses to focus its dog food range on puppies, which is unusual as most brands tend to aim the majority of their recipes at adult dogs.
Black Hawk does not produce any breed-specific recipes or formulas aimed at dogs with severe allergies or sensitivities.
Cat Food
Black Hawk’s cat food range is significantly larger than its dog food range. It consists of a mix of dry and wet/canned recipes.
Black Hawk has recipes for a range of age ranges, including kittens, adult cats, and senior cats. Lastly, they also produce grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes.
Similar to their dog food range, Black Hawk does not produce any specialty recipes such as those cats with severe allergies.
Black Hawk Nutrition
Dog Food
The nutrition provided by Black Hawk dog food recipes is generally above-average to significantly above-average.
Below is an example of the nutritional value of one of their dry dog food recipes.
As you can see, it includes an above-average proportion of protein and a modest proportion of carbohydrates.
This nutritional profile would be suitable for the vast majority of dogs, including those that are more active.
Protein and fat should be at the core of every dog’s diet as it is vital to enable growth, repair, and maintenance.
Cat Food
The nutrition provided by Black Hawk cat food recipes varies but is generally average to above-average. This nutritional profile includes reasonable proportions of protein and fat.
Ideally, the proportion of carbohydrates would be lower in Black Hawk recipes. This lack of need for carbohydrates is as cats are obligate carnivores and thrive best on a diet high in meat and fish and low in plant matter.
Below is an example of the estimated nutrition of a Black Hawk dry cat food recipe.
Black Hawk Ingredients
High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Lamb
Black Hawk uses a relatively small range of meat ingredients in its recipes. However, this does include some of the most common ingredients, such as Chicken and Turkey.
These ingredients are so common because they are relatively inexpensive and can provide excellent nutrition, high in protein and fat.
Many other Australian brands produce Kangaroo based recipes, but Black Hawk does not do this at this time.
Learn more about Kangaroo recipes in our article. Best Dog Food With Kangaroo
Other Notable Ingredients
Potatoes and Tapioca are starch ingredients found in Black Hawk pet food. They can provide carbohydrates and some minor levels of other micronutrients.
Tapioca is not well known by many pet owners but is popular in less developed areas of the world. Learn more about Tapioca in our article Tapioca In Dog Food.
Rice and Oats are two grain-ingredients used in Black Hawk recipes. Whole grain ingredients like Brown Rice and Oatmeal can be positive additions and are considered superior to other grains like Corn and Wheat.
Sadly, Black Hawk does use processed versions of these ingredients, and it’s also not clear whether they use White Rice or Brown Rice.
Peas are the most common vegetable used in pet food in place of grains. This is because they are relatively inexpensive and can provide a high proportion of protein for plant material.
However, there are concerns about the effects of Peas and other legumes on a dog’s health. In particular, there are growing links between high consumption of legumes and Canine Heart Disease.
Learn more in our article Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, and Pea Fiber in Dog Food.
Chicken Fat is added to pet food to improve its flavor and increase the levels of animal-based fat.
Chicken Fat is chosen over alternatives as it is very easy to source and affordable. Learn more about Chicken Fat in our article, Chicken Fat In Dog Food.
Beet Pulp is used in pet food to provide soluble fiber. This fiber can improve some pets’ digestion to make it more consistent.
However, Beet Pulp provides very minimal nutrition outside of its fiber content. Learn more about Beet Pulp in our article Dried Beet Pulp In Dog Food.
Black Hawk Animal Testing
At this time, we have no information on what type of animal testing, if any, that Black Hawk participates in.
We strongly believe that invasive or laboratory-style testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice and one which we hope will see a significant decline.
Black Hawk Recalls
Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), we have no information that leads us to believe that any Black Hawk products have ever undergone a recall.
Despite this, we strongly advise pet owners to be vigilant of any future recalls of Black Hawk or any other pet food brands.
Best of Black Hawk
Puppy – Lamb & Rice Review
Given the proximity to New Zealand, it will come as no surprise that Black Hawk utilizes Lamb in some of its recipes. Lamb is uncommon in many places and rarely used in dog food, thanks to its higher cost.
However, Lamb can provide excellent nutrition, high in protein and fat. The above recipe uses Lamb Meal as its primary ingredient, which is Lamb meat that has been processed to remove the majority of its moisture. This processing results in a more nutritionally dense ingredient.
The recipe also uses Chicken Meal and Fish Meal to further boost the proportion of the recipe that is animal and fish-based.
The plant-based ingredients in the recipe include Rice, Oats, and Peas. This mix of grains and legumes provides carbohydrates and fiber but in a modest portion.
Grain Free Adult – Duck & Fish Review
Duck is another meat ingredient that is not commonplace in the pet food industry, but it does see use throughout the world.
It can provide similar nutrition to other poultry ingredients such as Chicken and Turkey but usually contains a higher proportion of fat.
However, this recipe doesn’t just use Duck and contains a mix of Fish Meal and Salmon Meal.
Salmon Meal is a welcome addition, as it is one of the best fish ingredients available. Salmon contains a high level of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which many believe can provide several health benefits to humans and cats alike.
The recipe then uses a mix of starch and legume ingredients such as Potatoes, Tapioca, and Peas to provide a small portion of carbohydrates and fiber.
While this portion is higher than we’d like, it is far lower than many of Black Hawk’s competitors.
Grain Free Mature – Chicken With Salmon Review
Wet cat food is something that many cats go crazy over, and it’s likely Black Hawk will be no different.
The above Chicken With Salmon recipe is packed with a considerable portion of Chicken, which is sure to make it appealing to cats.
This Chicken is joined by a small portion of Salmon and Ocean Fish, which boosts the levels of protein and fat in the recipe.
There is a notable portion of Peas in this recipe. While the inclusion of vegetables in dry food is common, many wet or canned recipes avoid or minimize their plant-based content, but Black Hawk does not.
Black Hawk Featured Articles
At this time, Black Hawk has not been featured in any of our articles.
Black Hawk Full Product Range
Dry Dog Food
Adult Large Breed – Chicken & Rice
Puppy Large Breed – Chicken & Rice
Puppy – Chicken & Rice
Puppy – Lamb & Rice
Dry Cat Food
Grain Free Adult – Chicken & Turkey
Grain Free Adult – Duck & Fish
Adult – Lamb & Rice
Adult – Fish
Adult – Chicken & Rice
Kitten – Chicken & Rice
Wet Cat Food
Grain Free Kitten – Chicken With Peas & Broth
Grain Free Adult – Chicken With Lamb
Grain Free Adult – Chicken With Peas & Broth
Grain Free Adult – Chicken With Tuna & Ocean Fish
Grain Free Adult – Chicken With Beef & Lamb
Grain Free Mature – Chicken With Salmon