Feed Processing for Improved Productivity | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Optional for UPSC PDF Download

Feed Processing for Improved Productivity

• Grinding grains aids digestion in cattle and buffaloes, yet grain-forage interactions are crucial.
• Grain processing impacts rumen fermentation patterns, notably affecting butter fat content in dairy animals.
• Fine grinding enhances the feeding value of sorghum and barley compared to coarse grinding.
• Grain processing is often deemed unnecessary for sheep and goats, especially young ones.

Dry Heat Roasting and its Potential:

• Dry heat roasting of grains, though not widely adopted, could be cost-effective.
• Tested primarily on corn, this method might offer practical advantages due to its low processing costs.

Effects of Processing on Animal Performance:

• While the impact of grain processing on animal performance may seem minimal, various processes significantly influence nutrient digestion sites and extents.
• For instance, soybean meal requires roasting to deactivate inhibitors and substances affecting monogastric animals.

Reducing Glucosinolates in Oil Meals:

• Glucosinolates in rapeseed and mustard oil cakes impact palatability but can be reduced through processing methods like heat treatment or the development of low-glucosinolate varieties.
• Cottonseed cake, with toxic gossypol content, poses a challenge in pig feeding due to its low protein degradability.

Enhancing Protein Supplement Utilization:

• Unconventional protein supplements like karanj cake or guar meal can benefit from specific processing methods such as solvent extraction or toasting to improve utilization.
• Vegetable-origin protein supplements typically have higher rumen degradability, leading to nitrogen wastage, prompting efforts to mitigate this through physical or chemical treatments.

Processing of Compound Feed

Overview of Feed Compounding:

• The process of compounding animal feed involves converting raw materials with varying physical, chemical, and nutritional properties into a uniform mixture. This mixture is tailored to elicit specific nutritional responses in animal production.

Storage of Raw Materials:

• After procurement, raw materials are stored in waterproof, well-ventilated facilities, often equipped with wooden pallets and kept away from walls. Storage can also occur in concrete or steel silos or bins. Proper storage is crucial for preventing physical losses and maintaining quality control.

Feed Compounding Process:
The feed compounding process comprises the following stages:

• Grinding of feed ingredients
• Mixing of ground ingredients
• Pelletizing of mixed feed
• Packaging

Grinding of Feed Ingredients

Grinding involves the use of a high-power hammer mill where raw materials are broken down by the impact of hammers rotating at high speed. The particle size is reduced to pass through a perforated screen. Factors like bulk density influence the grinding process, with efficient operation crucial for achieving desired particle sizes.

• Efficient Operation
• Material Cooling
• Particle Size Considerations
• Moisture Content

Raw Material Considerations

Different animals require feed materials of varying fineness. Poultry feed and pelleted materials need finer grinding compared to cattle or pig feed. Moisture content is a critical factor to prevent clogging, especially for larger, lumpy materials.

• Moisture Content
• Pre-Crushing Requirements

Mixing of Ground Ingredients

• The process of blending ground feed ingredients in a mixer is essential for ensuring uniformity.
• Mixing enhances the taste of the feed and guarantees complete consumption by the animals.
• Various methods are employed for mixing, including utilizing shovels, concrete mixers, vertical mixers, horizontal mixers, and conveyor mixers.

Pelleting of Mixed Feeds

Pelleting Process Overview:

• Pelleting involves compressing mixed feed through holes in a hardened steel die using hardened steel rollers.
• Two types of pelleters are ring die pelleters and plate die pelleters.
• The pelleting process can be energy-intensive, demanding a significant portion of the total power required for feed manufacturing.

Benefits of Pelleting:

• Reduces dustiness and feed losses.
• Increases palatability of feed ingredients and inactivates harmful factors like bacteria.
• Enhances rumen escape prins.

Cold Pelleters:

• Feed is pushed into the die head at ambient temperature without heat treatment.
• Frictional force during pellet extrusion may increase the temperature of the feed.
• Pellets must be cooled before storage, reducing moisture content to 12%.

Conditioner Pelleting:

• Meal is pre-heated with dry steam in a conditioner prior to pelleting.
• Steam conditions the meal for temperature and moisture.
• Cooling pellets involves drawing cold air through them.

Packaging:

• Compound feeds are packed in bags or stored in bins with proper sealing.
• Bags are made of jute, cotton, paper, or plastic and filled directly from mixers or bins.
• Packing requirements ensure cleanliness and quality of feed.