The poultry feed factory is one of the most important pillars of the production process. Poultry production projects depend mainly when providing feed to birds on the processes of mixing feed materials. This is why the establishment of a feed plant compatible with available materials as well as reducing economic costs. And we must know that no commercial meat or egg chicken farm can do without a feed factory to mix feed materials with each other, as simple manual mixing of food on the farm can be done on a very small number of birds. And if we know that mills and small mixing units with energy from half to one ton can suffice to produce 20-30 tons per week and depend mainly on the workforce, which requires larger equipment and more time and effort to produce the required quantity commercially and economically, and for this we will address all parts of the factory units, site selection and production capacity.
1- Establishing a poultry feed factory:
When establishing any feed plant, careful planning is necessary in the design phase, and for this reason, the location of the plant must be determined next to the goal for which it was established, and regardless of the size of the plant, whether large or small, there are important principles that must be taken into account when designing and building, which are as follows:
A- The location of suitable land and the availability of water.
b- The basic function of the factory.
T- The different systems that can be followed in manufacturing.
D- The wide range of equipment that can be used in the feed mill.
C- Storage tools such as silos or yards.
H – the needs of accommodation for workers and offices.
G – Quality control and computer laboratories.
D- A place for car parking and large car turnovers.
From the foregoing, the role of construction is clear in the success of the feed factory or not, and we will come in detail about the role of all these foundations and factors and their role in the feed factory.
2- The role of the fodder factory:
The role of the feed mill is to produce complete feed mixtures that provide the nutritional needs of animals or birds. Each diet for each animal or bird is designed to provide it with its nutritional needs, whether preservative or productive. In the feed factory, the feed must be at the lowest cost and with the best specifications.
The actual role of the feed mill is the composition by the nutritionist, grinding and mixing accurately of the provided formulations and in the required quantities, and this is only possible through the availability of raw materials. The analysis and laboratories specialist analyzes the raw materials before manufacturing, during its stages, and up to the final product to conform to the specifications.
3- Sections of the feed mill:
A- Raw material receiving silos:
The silos in which the feed mill’s bulk ingredients (usually grain) are stored should be of an adequate size to allow the storage of 2-4 weeks’ feed.
The capacity of the silos is determined based on the capacity of the feed mill and the unit of cubic volumes or tons of material to be stored is used as a unit of storage capacity. We will discuss in detail storage in the fourth unit.
B- Section for cleaning incoming raw feed materials:
Feed material cleaning is the separation of foreign materials from raw feed materials, and these may include stones, metal pieces, straw, threads, wires and logs. All these impurities may cause severe damage to the grinding and mixing equipment, in addition to their harm to the animal, with what is called Hard ware Diseases. This process also includes the removal of harmful seeds and other contaminants from the raw feed materials.
The screens sift the raw feed materials on the basis of particle size, grains whose particles are small pass through the holes while the remainder is retained. Sift sieves are installed at the outlets of the silos, so that the cleaning process begins as soon as the raw feed materials arrive at the feed factory.
In every feed factory, magnetic pieces are installed that capture the iron pieces that may be present in the raw feed materials through a point that is the entrance to the transportation or mixing equipment. Common types include drum, beam, or gutter shaped magnets.
C- grinding
The mills in the fodder factory that are used to break up cereal grains (corn, wheat, barley,…etc.) are called Hammer Mills because of the beaters or hammers that these hammers contain, as they play an important role in reducing the particle size of the grain. the use.
The grinding process includes a number of different steps: impact, chipping, and crushing. Fracturing refers to the process in which particles are reduced in size by friction with each other and with the mill parts themselves before they pass through the exit sieves. The final particle size is determined mainly on the basis of the sieve used. Torn sieves work on a discrepancy in particle size. Spare parts of the feed mill should always be stocked with extra hammers and sieves. Fine grinding results from the use of sieves with openings up to 2 mm, and coarse grinding results from sieves with a capacity of 2-5 mm.
The grinding rate of the mill depends on the type and quality of the raw materials, the design and power of the mill, as well as on the size of the holes of the grinding sieves, and the materials vary greatly in the time required to grind them, for example barley takes twice as long as corn.
d) Mixing section:
The mixing section consists of tanks and equipment that supply ingredients to the mixers, the mixing equipment itself (the mixer), as well as conveyors and tanks for unloading from the mixers.
In large feed factories, it is preferred that the entire mixing process be automated, and in small feed factories, which mix 1-5 tons / hour, some parts of the mixing section may be operated manually.
Feed plant equipment manufacturers have some different automated mixing sections. In the simplest of these sections, the operator can specify the ingredients and their quantities required for mixing on an operating panel via the control buttons, which determine the ingredients that are supplied to the mixer.
The mechanism of the mixing section can be further developed by using punched cards. In this, the cards are pierced according to the composition of the food, and this information is fed to the board
From this stage, the ingredients are supplied in succession to the mixers after determining their quantities by passing them on the scales.
In advanced and modern feed factories, this process may be completely automated, as the computer controls all these processes.
Double-shift paddle batch mixer
e) Boiler in Feed Mill:
In all large feed mills producing feed, in granulated form, a good high pressure steam production facility is required, and is particularly important for the mixing of molasses as well as for the granulation process. And the boiler must be attached to a water treatment unit so that it is not covered from the inside with scales of calcium.
Feed manufacturing technology
f) Pellets and crumbles
When making feed in a feed mill, the food coming out of the mixer may undergo an additional process before it reaches the packaging stage. It may pass through a granulation machine to be converted into granules or crumbled granules, which are often preferred for poultry farms over soft feed.
The granules must be cohesive and durable so that they can withstand handling in the case of bulk transport and not be broken by the automatic feeding equipment used on many farms.
The best grinding coarseness suitable for the powders to be granulated is medium to fine, that is, it passes through a sieve with a slot capacity of 2.5: 3 mm, and the granules resulting from coarsely ground powders tend to break quickly.
g) Finished products unloading section in the feed mill:
1) Discharging silos:
The granulated feed and the crushed granules shall automatically flow into the storage silos for the finished products. Silos should be located near the unloading area for bulk feed as well as for the packing unit. The appropriate design for a feed plant with a capacity of 20 tons / hour is 8 silos to save the unit energy of 20 tons.
Spirals and conveyors may be used to allow unloading of finished products after passing through the scales, as this is a suitable alternative to bagging.
2) Packing in bags:
The bagging process must be automated, and the rate of filling, sewing and sealing can be regulated at a rate of 10 bags per minute. The output is limited by an automatic counting device, and manual sewing machines are also available. The powders are usually packed in bags of 25 or 50 kilograms. Bags of 20 kg are more suitable for handling on the farm. They may also use a mechanical method of locking (instead of sewing) known as valve filling. This method is suitable for large factories.
3) Pneumatic conveying equipment:
It is useful in modern feed mills and the advantages of this method include preventing the separation of components that sometimes occur when unloading bulk feed ingredients to silos in other traditional ways. There is also a crane to stack the bags.
4) Weight:
Weighing accuracy is of utmost importance in the feed mill, and the accuracy of the weighing device must be ensured. The appropriate level of accuracy for commercial feed mills is ± 0.25%. Scales and writing equipment should be in both metric and English weights.
The main component of a good weighing device for a modern feed factory is the car scale, and the most suitable location for it is near the factory gate. Large trucks carrying 20 tons or more of the materials that are frequently used today need a pallet scale with a weight capacity of 50 tons.
The pallet scale gives the total weight of the load including the weight of any other materials. The final weight may be substantial, and to check this it may be necessary to arrange for the materials entering the silo to be placed before and after cleaning. This is useful to allow proper control of the stock after taking account of losses.
5) Anti-dirt device in the feed mill:
Dust filters and dust exhausters shall be installed as necessary so as to reduce the dust level by no more than two milligrams per cubic meter of air in all operating areas of the feed plant. At the same time, the device must prevent soil concentrations in the feed mill from escaping to the outside atmosphere.
h) Mixtures of vitamins and minerals: Premixes
It includes food additives, vitamins, trace minerals, drugs and antibiotics that need to be added to the feed mixture in very small quantities (parts per million). The best way to do this is to pre-mix these additives with one or more ingredients and act as carriers or spreading agents.
The dried mixture initially, the “premix”, can be manufactured so that it is added to the main mixture in any possible proportion that is suitable for the conditions of the feed factory, be it 1 or 10%.
In small feed factories, the diluted premix can be made manually. In large modern feed factories, a complete initial mixing unit can be established. Such a unit for a feed mill with a capacity of 10 tons / hour may consist of:
1- A supply silo for the pre-mixing section, with a capacity of 10-20 tons for the carrier.
2- A group of silos with a scale of 500 kg capacity that receives ingredients and is supplied to the mixer.
3- Horizontal mixer with a capacity of 500 kg with guaranteed mixing efficiency.
4- A silo for discharging the initially diluted mixture. It is placed at the bottom of the mixer, and it can absorb its full capacity.
5- A unit of weighing and packing capacity of 50 kg, which is packed directly from the silo of the pre-diluted mixture “premix”. Alternatively, the pre-diluted mixture “premix” can be supplied to one of the silos of the supply department for mixing.
i) Maintenance:
1) Sanitary conditions in the feed mill:
In the feed mill, a high level of hygiene is required to prevent it from being a breeding ground for bacteria, fungi, insects, and mice. Regular cleaning, garbage disposal, and effective means of dust control are necessary to maintain the feed mill in good shape.
Mice, insects and microorganisms live in dirty places. And if it is not resisted, it may cause contamination of the diets and the spread of diseases in animals that feed on these fodders. Salmonella infection is usually caused by unclean food.
2) Equipment maintenance in the feed mill:
Milling, mixing, granulation, etc. are expensive equipment and require regular and accurate periodic maintenance. The used equipment varies in power from 1/4 HP motors to large machines of 250 HP or more.
Maintenance engineers and installers must receive maintenance training from the suppliers of the equipment they will be working on. In the case of installing new equipment for the feed mill, it is useful for the maintenance engineers and installers to assist in the actual installation of the feed mill. In this way it can be ensured that everyone has knowledge of the design and maintenance needs. Routine maintenance should be performed continuously during the time the equipment is turned off.
3) Electrical maintenance:
Regular maintenance of all electrical equipment is essential to keep the feed mill from downtime and is also a vital part of fire prevention. For the new feed factory, a certificate must be obtained showing the electric current for all the factory units, as well as the consumption of each section. The standard cost in kilos of produced food can then be determined on the basis of a ton. The electrical engineer of the feed plant must be present during the installation of modern electrical equipment so that he can obtain full knowledge of the electrical installations and connections.
All power cords must comply with international standards. Some types of plastic-coated wires may be eaten by mice, and this may cause fires or factory failure. This must be avoided in hot rituals. All electrical equipment must be compatible with the air temperature and protected against dust. It is useful to prepare a map of electrical connections that is kept and displayed in a clear manner. In large feed mills, there must also be a complete operator panel with representative schematic diagrams showing that all electrical circuits of the plant are in working order.
4) Trucks and vehicles of the feed mill:
All vehicles must be kept in good operating order at all times, which includes proper and regular maintenance. Maintenance is carried out during non-operation in order not to interfere with the normal performance of the feed mill.
And trucks intended for the transportation of bagged feed may be equipped with an electric winch to facilitate loading, or these trucks may be carried by forklifts and wooden pallets.
It is a complete program to ensure the regular maintenance of trucks. And driving large trucks with breaks requires training and skill. It is best for all drivers to have a driver’s education. Sometimes some training programs may be organized by the manufacturers.
5) Feed mill location:
The feed mill, whether large or small, should be as close as possible to the existing services in order to reduce the costs of constructing connection roads as well as installing electricity and water supplies.
It is more appropriate for the establishment of the feed factory to be near the area of feed consumption, on the basis that the costs of supplying ready-made feed are more than the fare for transporting raw feed materials, and the smaller the distance between the feed factory and the farm where this feed will be consumed, the easier it is to maintain the image of the feed (the feed is less prone to vibration).
When choosing the location of the feed plant, consideration must be given to the presence of a parking space for cars and supply trucks. The site should be as far as possible from the residential buildings so that the noise from the feed mill and the traffic of cars and trucks do not cause inconvenience to the residents of the area.
6) Feed plant capacity:
Feed plant capacity is usually expressed in the form of output from the feed plant in mixtures or tons per hour. The factory’s capacity depends on the feed needs required for the number of birds to be fed, and this must be determined accurately from the start. The design of the plant must allow great flexibility in this regard, allowing for expansion for the next five or ten years.
Good grinding and mixing equipment that is well installed and maintained and can operate automatically and almost continuously for 20:24 hours a day for up to 300 days annually. Since each mix takes about minutes, the actual output of the feed mill can be calculated accordingly.
In the planning stage of establishing the feed factory, it is preferable to allow some reserve limits in energy, and planning is based on operating the factory two shifts per day for five days a week. Such a method of calculation allows for a reserve in the form of an additional daily shift or an increase in the number of operating days per week or per month. On this basis, the energy can be calculated as follows: Production capacity / hour x number of hours per day x number of days in the year.
