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Granulated food for rabbits. Daily norm when feeding rabbits with compound feed. All feedstuffs are divided into

Kira Stoletova

With a lack of healthy vitamins and minerals, the immunity of lagomorphs becomes susceptible to various diseases, so many livestock breeders recommend buying or making them yourself granular feed for rabbits.

Raising rabbits is not an easy task. Every breeder needs to know about all the nuances of keeping these animals, care and feeding. It is especially important to monitor the diet of rabbits. Animal immunity, growth and development depend on the quality of the products used. Nutrition should be complete and balanced. How to choose the right diet for fluffies and what should be included in it?

Advantages and disadvantages of pelleted food

Granule food is a concentrated compressed herbal mixture.

Its composition is determined by the need of lagomorphs for certain products, vitamins and minerals. Specialized compound feeds are produced in several variations that replace the basic nutrition of animals, cereal diets and individual additives. Feeding rabbits with specialized food has large number benefits. The composition of such feeding meets all the necessary criteria for quality balanced nutrition. This food includes grass meal, hay, grains and mineral supplements.

Experienced rabbit breeders believe that the fewer additives a product contains, the better its quality.

Only natural ingredients allow animals to grow faster and gain weight. muscle mass. Feeding such food in winter, when there is a problem of lack of plant food, has a particularly beneficial effect. Checking the quality of pellet feed is easy. You just need to throw a few granules into a container of water and observe their condition. A high-quality product almost does not change its condition. If it has additives, it increases in size. It is not recommended to give such granules to rabbits.

But there is still one drawback: the high price of ready-made food. When keeping a large number of animals, the cost of purchasing it will significantly exceed the profit from breeding the animals itself, so many rabbit breeders resort to making their own feed in granules. The only problem is to find special equipment with which you can make the same high-quality and balanced food. In addition, the granulated concentrate contains most of the food products that grow in gardens, fields and farms, so the cost of such feeding will be minimal.

Specialized granular concentrate

If you cannot make granulated food yourself, you can purchase it. But those breeders who have not yet purchased such products need to know about their variety and features. Having found a package of granulated food on the counter of a specialized store, you need to make sure of its suitability, because some concentrates cannot completely replace fresh plant ingredients and are only additives. The feed should include:

  • from 20 to 25% plant fibers;
  • from 13 to 15% protein;
  • no more than 2% fat.

The composition of feed may vary. Most often, such products contain grain and herbal mixtures, including:

  • oats;
  • corn;
  • hay;
  • barley;
  • legumes;
  • alfalfa.

In addition, the granulated concentrate may include sunflower cake, as well as minerals (meat and bone meal, chalk, etc.). Separate view products may have large amounts of vitamins and minerals. Such concentrates are used only as dietary supplements. Complete animal feed for rabbits should not contain more than 1% vitamins.

Some rabbit breeders prefer to avoid buying specialized food in stores, choosing an alternative type of product - market ones. It is difficult to determine the exact composition of such a product. Experienced livestock breeders recommend paying attention to the appearance of the feed, its color component and its uniformity.

What to look for when purchasing

When purchasing mixed feed, you need to know about some tricks for recognizing high-quality balanced feed by appearance. Granulated concentrate for rabbits can be:

  • yellow or gray;
  • green;
  • dark green or brown.

If the concentrate in the granules is yellow or gray, it is dominated by grain, and if it is green, it is grass. If the farmer sees a dark concentrate, this indicates that it contains vegetables. This product is of lower quality than grain. In addition, it is not suitable for constant feeding. Rabbits should be provided required quantity plant fibers and protein, and in such food it is most often in short supply.

It is equally important to pay attention to the uniformity of the granules. They should all be the same color and size. These factors indicate the product's uniformity and purity. But still, it is not always possible to avoid crumbling of feed. When transported by the seller, and sometimes even by the farmers themselves, some of the granules crumble into dust. Rabbits rarely eat a product that could not be preserved, so it is important to transport the purchased concentrate carefully, avoiding unnecessary impacts and shaking.

The nuances of preparing granulated food yourself

Feed concentrate for rabbits in granules is an indispensable product for the growth and development of animals. Having decided to make it yourself, you need to know not only about the percentage of the individual components included in the feeding, but also about what equipment is used in its manufacture. The breeder should acquire:

  • crusher or other grain grinder;
  • grass dryer;
  • hay chopper;
  • mixer;
  • granulator.

Having prepared all this equipment, it will not be difficult to make the required volume of granulated feed. In addition, many farmers consider only one device indispensable when making pellets - a granulator. But some craftsmen can create it with their own efforts from scrap materials.

For beginning farmers, as well as those people who do not want to test their skills in constructing a home granulator, the best way out The best solution to this situation would be to buy a ready-made device. Extruders ( official name) have a large number of models, differing not only in price, but also in equipment, as well as performance. The cost of such equipment may seem high, but it will quickly pay for itself if the device is used correctly.

Tatyana Metzler: I do not use hay to feed rabbits

Why pelleted food is better than grain for rabbits

Homemade extruded food for rabbits. Olga Polozova's peasant farm

Feed consumption calculations

Many farmers often ask what kind of granulate will be beneficial for animals and what it should be made of. The answer to this requires knowledge of the needs of animals for certain products during certain periods of life. That is, for dwarf lagomorphs that are outside the mating period, 150-180 g of food are required daily. In other circumstances, it is necessary to increase the dose:

  • during mating - up to 230 g;
  • pregnant rabbits - up to 180 g, supplements (hay) - 70 g;
  • the first 2 weeks after birth - 300 g of granules and 100 g of additives;
  • from 3 to 4 weeks after birth - 500 g of granules, additives - 200 g;
  • from 4 to 6 - 0.7 kg of feed 0.220 g of additive.

In order to calculate the cost of producing or purchasing granulated feed, it is necessary to calculate how much product is consumed per year. The average weight of feed consumed by one rabbit is 180 g. This value should be multiplied by the number of animals kept. It is also necessary to add the average increase in the animals' need for an increase in the dose of the product during the mating period, pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Feeds made by experienced livestock breeders can help a novice farmer. Many farmers who produce granules on their own know about the average annual consumption. For 30 individuals, 400-440 kg of feed is most often consumed. A novice breeder can use these same calculations.

Production of granulated feed

If the farm already has all the necessary equipment for preparing granulated feed, you should calculate how many kilograms of all ingredients will be needed for the procedure itself. One individual eats 0.18 kg of the finished product. To feed a livestock of 10 animals you will need 1.8 kg. We must not forget about the supplement for those rabbits that need it. Most often used to make feed:

  • hay - 35% (or grass meal);
  • their barley or oat flour - 25%;
  • Sunflower cake - 20%;
  • legumes - 15%;
  • bran - 5%.

You should also know about the benefits of individual components of grass and grain feed. Vitamin A, which is necessary for growth, is contained in alfalfa, as well as meat and bone meal. B vitamins are found in bran, flour, potatoes and carrots, therefore, it is important that these products be included in the feed. Each breeder must change the recipe for making granulated food himself, making it up again as necessary.

For high-quality balanced feeding of pregnant females, it is also important to add sulfamide medicines, necessary for female rabbits for normal gestation. But veterinarians do not recommend introducing them into the diet yourself. It is best to consult with specialists before purchasing them.

Let's try to understand what a combined mixture is, how and what it is made from, what the benefits are and how much feed is needed for animals and birds.

Compound feed: composition and description

Compound feed is a mixture of various products suitable for feeding animals and birds.. They are carefully cleaned, crushed and selected according to certain recipes. Such mixtures are used as additional nutrients for animals.

Did you know? 60-65% is always grain raw materials; it is the basis of all feed mixtures.

  • foods high in carbohydrates, grains (wheat, corn, oats, barley);
  • legumes containing a high percentage of protein (, soybeans,);
  • oilseed crops (camelina, rapeseed, cotton);
  • hay, straw;
  • mineral mixtures and additives;
  • waste from grain processing and food industry.
The composition of the granulated universal feed mixture (suitable for cattle, and) includes:
  • approximately 8% wheat;
  • approximately 42% barley;
  • approximately 30% corn;
  • approximately 20% oats.

Production of combined feeds

They are produced in factories. It is possible to produce feed in small quantities at home; this may require certain equipment.

Important! Mixed feed recipes have two designations - two numbers (type of animal, serial number of the recipe) and a letter designation (type of mixture).

The technology for preparing compound feed with your own hands depends on the required final product and composition and consists of the following successive steps:

  • grinding;
  • dosing;
  • mixing;
  • storage.

According to the form of release, feed is divided into: loose, granular, briquettes.

Advantages of using compound feed when raising animals

The mixture is used as a supplement to the main food of farm animals and birds. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. The food will provide your animals with rapid growth, strengthened immunity and the appearance of healthy and strong offspring, increasing the productivity of the animal. Necessary as a source of energy for animals.

When using and selecting this product, consider important factors: its characteristics, the type and age of your animals and birds, the purpose (obtaining dairy products, obtaining meat products, obtaining products from these two directions).

Important! You need to know that the combination mixture for birds is absolutely not suitable for animals; it contains sand, crushed shells, etc. Eating such food can lead to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and even the death of the animal.

Types of feed

There are the following types of mixtures that factories produce: complete, concentrates, protein-vitamin mineral complexes.

Full blown

They are designated by the letters PC. They have a beneficial effect on digestion, ensure high productivity, good health and productivity.

Concentrates

They are designated by the letter K. They are distinguished by a high content of microadditives, protein and mineral elements. Used as a supplement to succulent, roughage and grain feeds in limited quantities.

Protein-vitamin mineral complexes

They are designated by the letters BVD. Microelements, vitamins, amino acids, medicinal and flavoring substances, and mineral raw materials are used in production.

How to prepare compound feed

For the production of combination mixtures, factories use equipment designed for large volumes. For home production feed mixers often use homemade mixers. Naturally, the volume of production is much less than in industrial conditions.

You can also get compound feed at home by mixing the ingredients manually. The simplest cooking recipe is the following: chop up the cereal and hay, add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

For pigs

Piglet feed ingredients:

  • 1 kg barley;
  • 100 g of yeast suitable for feed;
  • 40 g fat for feed;
  • approximately 15 g of chalk;
  • about 5 g salt.

Did you know? The ingredients for piglets are different from those for adult pigs.

Combination recipe for pigs:

  • no more than 0.4 kg of barley;
  • no more than 0.3 kg of oats;
  • no more than 0.16 kg of alfalfa flour;
  • no more than 0.12 kg of meat and bone meal;
  • no more than 80 g of sunflower cake;
  • about 20 g of chalk;
  • about 10 g of salt.

For rabbits

To prepare food for rabbits you will need a special granulator.

The simplest recipe:

  • grass flour or hay – approximately 35%;
  • barley – approximately 25%;
  • sunflower seed – approximately 20%;
  • corn – approximately 15%;
  • wheat bran – approximately 50%.
The winter recipe will be slightly different:
  • grass flour or hay – about 35%;
  • barley – about 30%;
  • corn – about 20%;
  • wheat bran – about 15%.

For cows

The recipe and composition of the combined feed for cattle should include:

Pelleted feeds are mealy mixtures formed into granules. According to experts, grass flour and compound feed, popular among farmers, are best used in the form of pieces of a dense structure. And you can feed them to both animals, birds, and fish. Therefore, if you have any fauna on your farm, hurry up and familiarize yourself with all the nuances of granulation.

Advantages of granulation:

Of course, before you give preference to granulation, you need to find out what you will ultimately gain and what benefits await you. Meanwhile, they are significant:
1. The full set of nutrients and vitamins is preserved. Despite the fact that some experts are convinced of the destruction of vitamins during the pelleting process, English and American scientists have come to the conclusion that the short period during which the pelleting process occurs cannot significantly affect the composition of the feed. The Americans and British conducted a lot of research, so you can be confident in their conclusions. At the same time, it is also obvious that much more food is lost in crumbly form than in the form of granules. Due to the fact that all useful substances are contained in granules, the animal’s body will receive them in in full. This means that the benefits of this type of food are maximum, as well as taste qualities, which in in this case they just win.

Granular feed is an excellent alternative to any bulk feed and compound feed,
Pelleted feed is perfectly eaten by all farm animals, birds and fish.

We granulate poultry feed 3 mm Kursk granulator

2. The phenomenon of saccharification should be separately noted. The fact is that starch, which is known to be contained in cereals, is converted into sugar during hydrothermal treatment to create granules. Not completely, but this is quite enough to significantly increase the feed value of the resulting product. Together with vitamins, antibiotics, microelements and other components of feed, saccharification has an excellent effect on the body of animals, birds and fish.


3. Speaking about the undoubted benefits of granules, we should turn to the anatomy of birds and animals. It is believed that their digestive organs are completely unsuited to properly processing feed in a liquid or paste state. An exception to this rule may be pigs. Thus, the bird runs the risk of getting its beak clogged if it eats regular food. And, as a result, breathing problems arise. In addition, according to the observations of experts, the productivity of poultry when fed with pellets can increase by an average of 15%! This figure is explained by the fact that mealy food is light in weight and, as a result, birds spend more energy absorbing food. At the same time, the pellets weigh more - this means that less energy is spent on feeding the bird, and more feed, along with all the nutrients, is absorbed. The bird no longer chooses what to swallow, but consumes everything along with useful elements. It should be noted that in this way you can significantly save on the feed itself.


As for animals, this too has its difficulties. Thus, it is extremely difficult for ruminant animals to grasp mealy feed with their tongues. At first glance, it seems that nothing terrible is happening, because, although it is difficult, the process of food absorption occurs. However, this approach is fraught: the chewing apparatus is not used properly, and the stomach does not accept food in the form in which it should arrive. But if you use granules, the animal will have a good appetite, the mucous membranes will remain in a non-irritated state and, of course, the digestion of the product will proceed as it should due to excellent chewing. We said above that it is much easier for pigs to digest food served in a mealy state. However, it is advisable to feed them with granules - thereby you will save on food, while providing the animal with the same set of necessary substances.

4. Compliance with sanitary standards is an equally important point, if not of paramount importance. And according to this parameter, granules are preferable, since they do not pollute the feeders. This, in turn, greatly reduces the risk of animals getting sick and increases the overall satisfactory sanitary condition of the premises in which animals or birds are kept.
5. Don't worry that the granules will disintegrate and turn into a paste. Caking and freezing are also not a threat at all. Humidity and temperature cannot affect the shape of the granules. The secret lies in the binders - molasses, hydrol, fat, bentonites and others. They perform many useful functions - increase productivity and reduce energy and steam consumption, enrich the product with useful substances. Another important property of the listed substances is that they increase the strength of the granules and prevent the disintegration of their shape. However, there is a nuance - the same fat should not be contained in a concentration of more than 3%, since otherwise it ceases to be a binding element. In the case of bird feed, this figure can be increased to 6%. The ideal option would be to use the listed binders and steaming.

Hay and straw can be perfectly granulated; such granules can be used not only as animal feed, but also as litter for pet litter, as well as fuel.

6. This kind of food is very convenient to transport and distribute. Transportation is allowed by both pneumatic and mechanical modes of transport. The homogeneity is not disturbed at all, which allows you to move the cargo without using containers. And how convenient it is to distribute such food mechanically! People who have dealt with pellets will unanimously confirm that they are very convenient not only to pack on the farm, but also to store. In addition, the granulation process itself provides for partial disinfection, which reduces the risk of exposure to negative factors on the feed.

Feed granulation technology.

So, we have become familiar with the advantages of this type of feed supply. Now it will not be superfluous to understand how granules are made. At the factory they are produced in two ways - dry and wet.

1. Dry granulation method - in this case, ordinary feed, which has a crumbly structure, is treated with steam. Alternatively, it can be mixed with liquid substances such as hydrol, molasses and then compressed. The DG feed granulator is quite modern in design and easy to operate; it processes organic raw materials and mixed feed. This is what is used when using the dry method. To begin with, the feed is carefully weighed and then placed in a hopper located above the press. But before this bunker, the feed must be in a sieve separator, as well as in a magnetic barrier. And after the bunker comes the granulator press. After leaving it, cooling occurs in a special device.


It is also very convenient that small particles and crumbs are eliminated immediately. If the feed is made for chickens, then the granules are also crushed on a roller machine. But when granulating, it is best to use several sizes of granulator matrices with different dies, then you will not have to grind large granules in order to feed them to young animals.

The press granulator should be discussed separately. Steam processing in it occurs at a temperature of 120-140 degrees. The steam must be dry. After this treatment, the feed enters the pressing chamber, which adds 16-17% moisture to it. The temperature is set within 50-80 degrees. We wrote above that the granules undergo a cooling process. After such cooling, the humidity is reduced to a maximum of 14%, and the temperature is reduced to a point that will be 5-8 degrees above the ambient temperature.

The output is granules of different diameters, and this is not accidental. Small cylinders of food are intended for young birds - chicks and ducklings absorb small lumps best. But an adult bird can consume pellets measuring 5 mm.



These parameters are also suitable for fish. Large pieces of feed can be given to pigs, horses, and cattle. It is more profitable to produce large granules, because their production is less expensive. And if you need a small format for feeding chicks or fish, it is best to crush the large one, and then sift out the small particles. This procedure should be carried out after the granules have cooled. Screening is carried out as efficiently as possible in special equipment with two sieves - after passing through the upper one, the remaining large particles are returned for grinding, and after the lower one, ready-made grits are formed. The passage produces a product that goes for pressing. As you can understand, food for large animals bypasses the phase of such grinding and sifting. Such procedures should be carried out with good theoretical preparation precisely because many factors must be taken into account when working with a granulator - the quality of the ingredients, their moisture content, the diameter of the granules, the condition of the device matrix, the recipe. If all these factors are carefully observed, the granules will be strong, dry and with minimal loss of much-needed vitamin A. For the latter, you can replace steam with a well-binding salted hydrol. Then, instead of losing 30% of the beneficial vitamin, the food will lose only 8%.

Preparation of granulated fish food.

We are testing feed pellets for fish.

The wet method is applicable if it is necessary to produce fish food. This option is used much less frequently than the first, but if you need to get food that does not get too wet, swell or disintegrate in water, this is what you need. How can I test the product? Pay attention to how much time passes from the moment the pieces of food are immersed until they begin to lose their original shape. If the food is intended for animals or birds, then this time can be 3 minutes, and in this case there is no need to worry. But if you keep fish, then 3 minutes will clearly not be enough - at least 15 minutes should pass.

The process of making fish food.

To produce suitable pellets for fish feeding, it is necessary to use a special screw extruder or feed granulator (which is preferable and more affordable). But you should pay attention not only to the press or feed granulator, but also to the raw material itself - it must be loose, without films and must be finely ground. Only in this case can a quality product be obtained. And in order to select this necessary raw material, a special sieve is used, the holes of which are within 2 mm in diameter. It is also important to pay attention to the degree of moisture in the dough and the temperature at which the food is prepared.
Once the raw materials are properly sifted, they can be added to the kneader of the press. Fluoroplastic inserts are often used in the matrix, which certainly improves the quality of pressing. Now you need to dilute the feed with water by 34% -35%. However, any water is not suitable - you need hot water, the temperature of which will reach 70-80 degrees. According to research, it is this indicator that increases the volumetric mass of granules and their density, and also reduces the amount of energy spent on the production of granules. Do not choose a higher temperature, since this will already be fraught with a slight decrease in water resistance - this will not have critical consequences, but the quality of the product will decrease slightly. After such a stay under pressure, the granules are thoroughly blown to remove excess moisture. Drying is carried out in special dryers, called heater dryers VSh-2. The temperature at which drying is carried out reaches 100-110 degrees. Cooling and getting rid of fine powdery particles are also necessary. The material is cooled in a special column. The particles are sifted out in a device called a sifting machine. After this, the finished cylinders are checked for their quality by immersing them in water.
This method is much more expensive than dry food, but all additional costs associated with such production of feed are fully justified. High quality the resulting product speaks for itself. According to experts, the benefits of food made by wet granulation are approximately 18%-21% higher than the benefits of food made by dry granulation. This is especially important when developing a diet for fish. Depending on the type of fish and their behavior, it is possible to develop granules of various physical and chemical properties using this method - they can either stay afloat or sink quickly, or sink into water slowly.

How to make a granulator with your own hands:

Of course, all the factors that need to be taken into account when making food prompt you to turn to specialists. But if you have a sufficient theoretical basis and you plan to make granulated food yourself, you can try to make the equipment for this yourself. In addition, if you own a farm, it may be easier and more profitable to make your own feed. What will you need for this?

Principle and structure of a feed granulator.


As you understand from the description of granulation methods, there are several options for producing granules. Despite them general principle, which consists in squeezing crushed food out of cylindrical holes located in the matrix, there are some differences. The feed can be pressed using either special pressing rollers or an auger. In this case, we will consider the first option - with rollers.

In turn, the rollers can work according to two principles - rotate, due to which the feed is pressed, or be in a static state. In the latter case, they are fixed in the granulator frame on a fixed axis, and rotation occurs directly in the matrix. But in any case you can’t do without rollers.
In this case, we will consider the second option - when the rollers themselves are motionless. Rotation on the die will occur due to a gear train with intersecting axes. The toothed gear is located on the drive shaft. From it the torque is transmitted to the ring gear. This crown is located on the shaft, and the flat matrix is ​​also located on the shaft. All of the listed elements are located in the housing.
This was a general diagram of the device, giving an idea of ​​the final result of manufacturing the granulator. Now we will try to apply it in the “do it yourself” mode. You are unlikely to have a lathe at hand; you may not even have one in the garage. Therefore, you will have to adapt to what is at hand.

How does this work? Flat die granulator.

The main components of the granulator, as mentioned above, are rollers and a matrix. If you have sufficient skills, you can even make them yourself, but it is still advisable to purchase ready-made ones.

Remember that the quality of the device itself will depend on the quality of these parts. In addition, it is not difficult to purchase them, and at a very affordable price and with any necessary parameters.

But a housing with a gear drive is not so easy to find, but it is quite feasible. Please note that the housing must fit perfectly to the gear drive. This is precisely the basis from which it is necessary to build. But where to find it? Alternatively, we can recommend looking at a car wrecking yard. If you still can’t find the case, you can make it yourself. To do this we need a sheet of metal or, even better, a metal pipe. The matrix must rotate freely in the housing, therefore the diameter of the housing must be appropriate. However, the gap between the wall and the matrix should be as minimal as possible. Here, more than anywhere else, the so-called “golden mean” is important. At the bottom of our pipe we need to make a hole, to which we weld a tray for granules. In this case, the hole must be made square. The geared output shaft is attached to the bottom of the cylinder using a coupling and bearings. Attach lugs to both parts of the cylinder. It's best to just weld them. Through them the two parts of the body are connected using bolts. This composite design is good because it is easy to operate, clean, and, if necessary, transport.
And you're in luck - you've found what you need. The main components need to be attached to the transmission. After this is done, select a suitable electronic motor for the future granulator. But in order for the engine to be fixed somewhere, a rigid frame needs to be welded. It is recommended to make it from a corner or channel. By the way, a gear drive will also be attached to the same frame along with it. Once you have done all of the above, you can consider that the feed forming machine is almost assembled. All that remains to be done is to install a chain or belt drive, install a special tray designed for granules, and a funnel into which the raw materials will be loaded. But these are already details; their implementation will take very little time. In the end, all that remains is to apply a little paint to the surface of the structure.
You should listen to the following advice, which will help make the device as functional as possible. Both chain and belt drives can be used. The main thing is that the axis of the shaft on which the flat matrix is ​​located and the axis of the engine rotor are parallel to each other and in the same plane. Naturally, in this case the engine itself must be installed vertically.
Research shows that the profitability of farms that have their own personal granulator increases on average by 1.5-2 times. The fact is that the purchase of ready-made feed can take approximately 70% of the amount intended for keeping poultry or cattle. It turns out that the opinion is that it is cheaper to purchase already finished products Instead of acquiring personal equipment for the manufacture of these products, it is a mistake. Even for beginning farmers, purchasing or creating your own equipment can cost 110,000 rubles, but it will pay for itself in literally 10 or 12 months. It may well be that making a granulator yourself will cost you even less, but, undoubtedly, the payback will be quick.

Feed Pelletizer Reviews

We looked at ways to produce high-quality food for animals, birds and fish. We also found out how you can make a device for forming such food yourself. But what to do if you constantly need a granulator on your own farm, but you can’t do something with your own hands? Then it is recommended to purchase a ready-made device. And the choice of relevant products on the market is quite large. Let's look at some manufacturers that can provide proven equipment:

1. Doza-Agro LLC - is engaged in the production, installation and sale of fairly high-quality agricultural equipment, including granulators. The equipment is available in any capacity, which, without a doubt, will allow you to choose exactly what is needed for any of the tasks. The modern design is perfectly combined with ease of use. As for the first point - the design - it allows you to use almost any raw material for the production of granules, which is extremely convenient and helps save money. This raw material can be dosed with maximum precision thanks to the combination of a reduced pitch of the screw turns and an increased diameter of the chamber located in the dispenser. The press has a good degree of protection. The engines are very convenient to operate and, what is also important, they produce minimal noise. Thanks to all the listed features, the equipment of this company is quite durable, reliable, versatile and safe. And, importantly, it consumes little energy and has a decent uninterrupted service life. Even a beginner can use this device, because the company offers a full range of services - from consultation to delivery and installation with subsequent service and warranty period.

2. TekhnoMashStroy LLC - suitable for producing feed for pigs, chickens, fish, rabbits, cows, quails and other living creatures. What is the advantage of this particular model? The double-sided matrix is ​​made of high-strength steel. Moreover, the matrices are available in various versions depending on the diameter of the holes that are intended for pressing. These holes range in diameter from 2 mm to 6 mm. If for some reason the matrix or any other parts do not meet your requirements, there is always the opportunity to additionally order what is needed. You can also order not the entire granulator - that is, not in the form in which it is advertised. If you want to show your creativity and refine something yourself, then this opportunity is provided.
3. ART – suitable for use in both large farms, and in small private enterprises. The undoubted advantages include the fact that the matrix is ​​able to work with engines of various powers. But in any case, energy costs are minimal. The matrix itself is made of 20X steel, which is cemented in a hot furnace. Due to this approach, excellent hardness of the metal surface is acquired, as well as, importantly, the walls of the holes. Thanks to this last feature, the device does not wear out for quite a long time and requires minimal intervention in terms of repair work. The method of making rollers is similar to the method of making a matrix. The transmission is not straight-toothed, but helical, which serves for greater durability of the product and a lower level of noise emitted by it.
The granulator is not for factory use, but is special for farms. It requires a voltage of 220 V. This company installs a centrifugal clutch on it, and this guarantees a smooth start even in conditions where the load on the engine is quite large. In the case of such a heavy load, the engine does not stop, as happens with some other devices. Instead, the clutch slips. The overload is also prevented by a thermal relay, which will simply turn off the engine in the event of unforeseen situations. Alloy steel is used in the manufacture of granulator parts; this steel undergoes the necessary heat treatment for excellent strength.
Before not only registering for sale, but also going through the painting procedure, each individual car is tested. If any defects are found during the inspection, they are corrected immediately. And to avoid such defects, the company manufactures all components itself.
A 22 kW granulator is available for purchase - it has passed all the necessary tests and has been put into mass production. This company It has been performing excellently on the market of similar products for 2 years now, and during this time it has managed to win the trust of consumers. In addition, she never tires of making various improvements.
4. Agropost LLC - manufactures a granulator that perfectly forms raw materials into granules. The granules are dense, smooth, and easy to use. They undergo heat treatment, which only strengthens their properties. Compound feed, straw residues, rice husks, alfalfa, sunflower husks, corn, wood industry residues, waste agriculture– all this is suitable as raw material. This device operates with an engine power of 15 kW, and the productivity is 700-800 kilograms per hour. It is recommended to use a product whose humidity is 13-18%.
5. Spetsselmash LLC - the products of this enterprise are characterized by reduced energy intensity. For comparison, similar products from other enterprises consume as much as 8 or 9 kW per hour more than this option. In addition, less dust is generated during operation, which is another advantage of this option. In order to achieve greater efficiency, you can add a second auger loader, scales and even a bag sewing machine. Greater efficiency means the ability to conveniently dispense the finished product into bags, as well as faster loading. The standard equipment includes a hammer crusher, which houses a fan, a mixer with a horizontal shaft, and an accurate loading auger. It is possible to add both dry and liquid additives at your discretion.

Pelleted feed overview

We have reviewed some brands of pelleting machines, but what to do if it is still more convenient for you to buy ready-made food. Going to the trouble of making your own may not be convenient for everyone, so in some cases it may be advantageous to purchase pre-made and packaged kibble food. The brands listed below provide a guarantee of the quality of their products. They use only natural raw materials without adding any dyes, preservatives or growth stimulants. They also go through thermal treatment, which kills harmful microorganisms:
1. “Shchedra Niva” - intended for turkeys, ducks, quails, chickens, horses, pigs. As for poultry, when they consume this food, they begin to lay excellent eggs. And this is no coincidence, because the granules contain all the ingredients that a bird needs for good egg laying. It is recommended to use in the first phase of productivity - in other words, between the 20th and 40th weeks. Ingredients include corn, soybean meal, wheat, sunflower meal, calcium phosphate, limestone, methionine, lysine, phytase, antioxidant, vegetable oil, salt and a whole complex of vitamins and minerals. If you need a good clutch from quails, then you should feed them with pellets after the birds have finished taking the starting mixtures - they do not always need to be given, but most often farmers use similar mixtures. As for pigs, the type of feed for them from Shchedra Niva contains all the components that the animal needs for good fattening. Intended for consumption of animals weighing from 35 to 60 kilograms. If you need to feed a lactating female, then this food will come to the rescue, because it contains all the substances necessary for the formation of good milk. And, as we remember, it is granules that can retain maximum quantity nutrients, and in the right dosage.
2. “Top food” - this food belongs to the premium class. It is recommended to purchase it not only when you need high-quality bait, but also when you doubt the quality of the genetic material of your pets. The secret that this brand is premium is the quality of the raw materials from which the food is made. It is the most expensive, but it is excellent for all types of animals. And not only species, but also ages - even newborn animals and newly hatched chicks can use it. If there are doubts about the health of young animals, it is even more recommended to give preference to this food. It is not for nothing that this brand, which has existed since 2009, has shown itself well in commercially oriented livestock farming. It is very difficult to track the inclusion in the waste of meat processing factories, because it often happens that all this spoils while still in the factories. However, Top-Kord refused in principle to include such raw materials, as well as other ingredients that could cause harm - hormones, growth stimulants, chemical additives and various components that contain animal protein. Instead, the composition is indicated by the following components - sunflower and soybean meal, cake, corn flour, various types of cereals, trace elements, minerals, vitamins, amino acids. The advantage of such food in the form of granules is that the constituent substances do not grind into dust during long-distance transportation and do not disintegrate. If you start using this food, you will quickly see how much grain use will decrease and the productivity of your pets will increase. By the way, this productivity will increase by as much as 15%-20%, if you compare it when feeding something else.
3. “BEST” is a company that is quite affordable long term managed to take a leading position in the pelleted feed production market. Now this brand is known in many regions Russian Federation. And it is not surprising, because there are a lot of advantages - for example, it is a reduction in the cost of poultry, because the level of feed consumption per kilogram of weight is reduced. In addition, thanks to granulation technology, the digestion process of feed is improved by approximately 20%, and the ingredients increase the shelf life of the product and serve as a guarantee of safety even if the feed is stored for a long time. The company took into account all the age-related needs that arise in poultry and approached each point carefully. "BEST" cooperates with the world's leading manufacturers of food additives from Germany and Holland. This collaboration allows for excellent results in feeding pigs, turkeys, broilers and cattle. With all this, a competent price-quality ratio is achieved. But, in addition to additives, the food contains about 22 components - these are various enzymes, microelements. After including all these components contained in granules of the same brand in the diet, there will no longer be a need for any additional feeding. And, of course, manufacturers made sure that the products were sterile, which is achieved through heat treatment. This food is divided into several types - “Start”, “Growth” and “Finish”. For example, the latter type includes a completely safe enzyme, which affects the bird’s excellent yellow color. There is another effect, not only aesthetic - when using any type of feed, the bird will subsequently have excellent taste.
4. “BEST Mix” - good brand, suitable for raising not only birds, but also fish, rabbits, and pigs. As for piglets, they can start fattening literally from 6-8 weeks. The food includes such components as fish meal, seedings, soybean sprat, cake, sunflower sprat, shell, limestone, mineral complex, amino acids, a set of essential vitamins and minerals. As for fish, fish from the carp family grow excellently on this food.
As you can see, a feed granulator is an indispensable thing for those people who keep livestock various types, be it cattle or fish. If you need compound feed to feed these animals, then you are unlikely to do without a granulator. Of course, you don’t have to use it, but then how many benefits will be lost! Having spent money once on a granulator, you can save significantly in the future! Moreover, this applies to both owners of large farms and several representatives of the fauna. The resulting food will be extremely useful and can be stored long time and absolutely harmless. In addition, you can add vitamins and other nutrients to this food at your discretion. Agricultural enterprises European countries have long appreciated all the advantages of this equipment, and livestock farming there has been at a good level since ancient times. Therefore, we can safely say that the granulators have passed the quality certificate in practice.

The key to high productivity when raising poultry and livestock is a balanced diet of feed. The most preferable are grain-based feeds enriched with vitamins, proteins, additives, and microelements. They are produced for feeding domestic animals, poultry, and fish.

In addition to nutritional value, granulated feed has other advantageous differences. It is designed for long-term storage without loss beneficial properties. Can be transported in bulk and in bags, eliminating losses.

The output is different types of products: loose, briquetted and granular mixtures.

The technological process for preparing granules involves crushing and grinding of raw materials in hammer crushers. Then comes mixing with the ingredients and pressing the mixture to obtain the desired rations. The granulation process is facilitated by the addition of water or steam. Sometimes moisture is provided by components contained directly in the feed. Molasses is also used as a binding element. It is estimated that when producing a ton of pellets, the energy consumption can be 10-12 liters. s.-h.

Granular mixtures are produced in the United States of America, Canada, and Great Britain. The proportions are selected based on what type of pet the feed is intended for and how much they can eat at one time.

Universal, suitable for use in the livestock and poultry industries, while granules d 3.2 and 4.8 mm have become the most popular.

Poultry feed pellets

There are some differences in the size of pellets used in the diet of adult birds and chickens.

Granulating machines do not always guarantee uniform length and diameter of granules. The failures do not affect the chickens. A chicken cannot swallow large food, it needs smaller substances, and larger ones go to waste.

Until recently, 2.4 mm pellets were produced for feeding chickens. But they turned out to be unsuitable for this category of birds, and their production was unprofitable. The efficiency of granulating matrices increases markedly when producing grits from granules with a caliber of 4.8 mm. The food becomes homogeneous and is well digestible. As a result, grains are recognized as a mass feed for raising broiler chickens.

The optimal nutrition for chickens under 56 days of age is considered to be grains of smooth and small fractions. Next, chickens can feed on pellets with a diameter of 3.2 mm. It is possible to reduce feeding of kibble to 5-6 weeks if the growing process is accelerated.

3.2 mm granules or large grains can be introduced into the diet of battery-fed hens throughout the entire growing period. Granulated bird feed is the most acceptable and economical diet that ensures high egg production.

Adults are shown granules with a diameter of 4.8 mm.

Round granules Ø 3.2; 4; 4.4; 4.8 mm is made for feeding adult poultry. The same size feed is suitable for sheep.

The English matrix from Richard Sizer provides high efficiency in the production of granules. The use of this form with holes d 2.4 mm does not require a grinding operation, which produces 30-40% of the fractions that are recycled again.

Cattle pellets

The production of compound feed also includes the production of pellets for growing cattle for meat. This category of animals is intended for pellets whose length is slightly greater than their thickness. The proportions can be as follows: if the cross section is 12.7 mm, then the length is 16 mm; with a diameter of 4.8 mm, the length will be 6.3 mm. Based on the needs of farms, the length of the granules can be increased.

Depending on the age of the animals, granules of different configurations and sizes are produced and used. Lumps of diameters 3.2; 4; 4.4; 4.8 mm is suitable for calves up to three months. In the life cycle stage from 3 to 6 months, compound feed Ø 9.5 is recommended; 12.7 or 15.9 mm. During periods when meat mass is growing (individuals are 6-10 months old), food with a diameter of 9.5 is preferable; 12.7; 15.9 mm. At the same time, it is allowed to give calves granulated feed of a square configuration: 9.5 * 9.5; 12.7*12.7 and 15.9*15.9 mm. Granules with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of up to 25 are also produced for calves, and 9.5 and 12.7 mm are used in small portions when fattening pigs.

When solving the problem of rapid beef production, it is possible to use pellets of the named calibers for feeding calves up to three months of age.

Round and square granules, the d of which is equal to 19 mm and 19 * 19 mm, respectively, are given to cows during the period when they produce milk. Briquette feed of various volumes is prepared in order to be used as top dressing on pastures.

Matrices for the production of granules of different sizes are produced by Socam (France). At the output, it is possible to obtain granulated mixtures of the following diameters intended for poultry, cattle and other domestic animals:

  • 3 mm - for chickens and young laying hens;
  • 4 mm - chickens;
  • 5 mm - rabbits;
  • 7 mm - calves, sheep, rabbits;
  • 16.5 and 23.5 mm - for adult cattle and horses.

Square pellets measuring 14*14 mm are also produced for cows, bulls, and horses.

The use of intensive agrotechnical methods for growing fodder crops (especially high doses of mineral fertilizers), their canning, storage and preparation, briquetting And feed pelleting are associated with significant physical and chemical changes, which do not always have a positive effect on their quality and efficiency of use by animals.

From the point of view of zootechnical requirements for the quality and nutritional value of feed, it is very important to know the extent to which intensive agrotechnical and technological methods affect the palatability of feed, the physiological state of animals, the ratio, digestibility, use and preservation of nutrients, the level and quality of livestock products.

In a comparative assessment of modern technologies ( briquetting, granulation, haymaking) it was noted that the yield of nutrients is overwhelmingly higher during briquetting. Thus, in a comprehensive experiment to study the effectiveness of preparing briquettes and haylage from a whole barley plant in the phase of milky-wax ripeness, it was found that on average the yield of nutrients and livestock products (milk, meat) when feeding briquettes was 17-18% higher compared to with haylage. This is explained, on the one hand, by higher losses of nutrients during haylage preparation, and on the other, by their lower digestibility.

From the point of view of digestive physiology, the physical form of food is of great importance for ruminants. A certain pattern has been established for the digestibility and use of nutrients by animals when feeding them grass meal and cuttings, haylage, hay, silage, briquettes and granules. Briquetted feed was superior in terms of nutrient digestibility to hay prepared from similar raw materials (cereal-clover mixture) using the active aeration method.

The digestibility of organic matter of these feeds was 60.0 and 52.3%, protein - 58.7 and 56.3%, fiber - 59.7 and 55.8%, BEV - 63.0 and 55.4%, respectively. Organic matter and nitrogen digestibility of granules were on average 10% lower than grass cuttings (55.2 and 65.6%, 45.0 and 54.0%) when using the same feedstock.

Granulation It turned out to be a more effective method of forage preparation in terms of nutrient digestibility than haylage. However, the data obtained show that for ruminants, in terms of digestibility, feed pelleting is a less effective technological method than briquetting.

Granulation led to a decrease in the digestibility of protein, fat, dietary supplements and especially fiber.

The difference in the digestibility and utilization of nutrients between granulated and briquetted feeds is explained primarily by the particle size of the coarse component. The particle size in granules does not exceed 6 mm, and in briquettes - 9-12 mm or more. This significantly affected the digestibility of nutrients, the physiological state and productivity of cows.

Developments recent years in the field of physiology and biochemistry of ruminant nutrition, there is reason to believe that the level of their protein supply and the efficiency of its use are determined by the amount of metabolic protein, which is the sum of the feed protein not broken down in the forestomach and the synthesized microbial protein that enters the intestine. This assessment system allows us to evaluate from a new perspective the possibility of increasing the efficiency of use of non-protein nitrogen by ruminants, to manage the complex process of microbial synthesis, taking into account the quality of the feed, the presence of energy available for fermentation in it, as well as the nature of the protein.

The data show that significant changes have occurred in the chemical composition of the dry matter of feed prepared using various technologies from a mixture of cereal grasses.

The digestibility of nutrients in the studied feeds also depended on the technology of their preparation. The digestibility coefficients of dry and organic matter of silage, hay, and grass were close. The digestibility of almost all nutrients in artificially dehydrated feed varied depending on their physical fitness. In cutting it was higher than in granules.

The size of the particles had a certain influence on the digestibility indicators.

Procurement technology has a significant impact on the quality of feed protein. In silage, the sum of non-protein fractions was the highest (60.43%), and in the initial mass - only 16.41%. In artificially dried feed and hay, the level of non-protein nitrogen decreased to 10.14-12.63%.

The protein contains the most high content the easily soluble fraction was found in the original green mass (50.59%). During the technology, significant denaturation of the native protein occurred. The amount of easily soluble proteins decreased in hay to 21.8%, in silage to 9.67, in artificially dehydrated feed to 5.66-7.31%. Total protein solubility was largely dependent on feed preparation technology. In the initial mass and silage it was at the level of 67-70%, in hay - 31.4%, in artificially dehydrated feed - 15.8-20.2%.

Protein breakdown in the rumen after 24-hour exposure was: in hay - 45.8%, silage - 53.5, grass cuttings - 48.11, granules - 43.4, briquettes - 37.6%.

Significant changes have also occurred in the amino acid composition of the protein of feed prepared using the technologies being studied.

In terms of the content of total amino acids, briquettes, cuttings and silage were practically at the same level (153.94 -159.82 g/kg). In hay and granules, their quantity was lower (140.54-146.41 g/kg) than that found in the initial mass by 13.15 and 9.72%, respectively. The smallest amount of essential amino acids was found in silage protein - 33.74% (due to lysine, histidine, arginine, threonine and methionine).

Differences in the chemical composition of feed, especially in the quality characteristics of protein, had a certain impact on its transformation in the digestive tract. At the most high odds Digestibility of silage protein, the amount of it entering the small intestine (metabolic protein) turned out to be the lowest. This fact indicates that protein digestibility for ruminants is not an objective indicator of its quality, since it does not take into account the peculiarities of nitrogen conversion in the forestomach.

The largest amount of metabolic protein was found in artificially dried feed (221.6-250.7 g per 1 kg of dry matter). Traditionally prepared feed (hay, silage) contains significantly less metabolic protein (133.4-179.5 g per 1 kg). Its content was especially low in silage, which is characterized by the highest solubility and breakdown of protein in the proventriculus. This must be taken into account when developing optimal feed procurement technologies aimed at increasing the efficiency of protein use by ruminants.