The technology for pelleting livestock and poultry feeds with a pellet mill has been around for many years. In general, processing complete swine or poultry feeds into pellets involves preconditioning the total mixed diet with steam followed by extrusion of the mash through a feed pellet machine die. The newly formed pellets are then cooled and transported for storage and feeding either in bags or bulk. The advantages of feeding growing pigs pelleted diets over standard meal form diets are well documented. These include better feed efficiency, greater starch digestibility, less feed waste, less "sorting" of diet ingredients by pigs, and less segregation of diet ingredients during feed handling. Naturally these advantages come at a cost. The additional cost of pelleting compared to meal form diets can vary from $3.00 to $7.00 more per ton of finished feed. Swine producers that have the option to purchase or manufacture pelleted feeds are thus faced with an important question; are the advantages and added returns of pelleted diets worth the added cost? The most economically important of these added returns would be better feed efficiency. For example if pelleting grower-finisher feed results in a 5% improvement in feed efficiency (less feed per unit of gain), then the justifiable cost increase for pelleting would need to be no more than 5% per ton.
The pellets are made by compacting the feedstock through small holes in a die. The die holes are round and the pellets are pushed from the inside out by rollers. The pellets are formed as a continuous “rod” and cut to length by a knife at the periphery of the die.
the feed pellet equipment have one or more conditioning units mounted above where liquids can be added to improve pelletability. Water is sometimes added in the form of steam resulting in firmer pellets.
From the conditioner, the feed stock falls into the centre of the pellet mill. In the pellet mill, rollers and feed ploughs push the material through the holes of the die plate. The die plate is either stationary and rollers rotate around the inner surface of the die, or the die rotates around the rollers. Outer knives cut the pellets to length.
The pellets are made by compacting the feedstock through small holes in a die. The die holes are round and the pellets are pushed from the inside out by rollers. The pellets are formed as a continuous “rod” and cut to length by a knife at the periphery of the die.
the feed pellet equipment have one or more conditioning units mounted above where liquids can be added to improve pelletability. Water is sometimes added in the form of steam resulting in firmer pellets.
From the conditioner, the feed stock falls into the centre of the pellet mill. In the pellet mill, rollers and feed ploughs push the material through the holes of the die plate. The die plate is either stationary and rollers rotate around the inner surface of the die, or the die rotates around the rollers. Outer knives cut the pellets to length.