What are the benefits of granular feed: poultry experience

2019-03-25 05:08:45

Granular feed is very popular among farmers and livestock breeders. The benefit from its use is undoubtedly large: the profitability of the economy is increased by improving the quality of feed used for animals.

At the same time, the cost of regular purchase of compound feed of unknown quality is reduced and the amount of unused raw materials is minimized. This food is rich in useful and nutrients, minerals and vitamin supplements, which are so necessary for broilers, turkeys, geese, ducks throughout life.

Granular feed contributes to:

• rapid growth and weight gain;

• improving the digestion process;

• strengthening immunity;

• increase egg production of birds;

• reducing the risk of disease and death.

Pellets of the appropriate size are well eaten by birds.

Grain and granular feed

Why do birds eat granular feed better?

Birds do not chew food; therefore, it is more difficult to digest whole grains than pre-crushed and then compressed products. Digestion occurs due to enzymes of gastric juices, microflora, and feed enzymes. The speed of such metabolic processes directly depends on the enzyme systems that are formed due to properly selected feeds and nutrition.

Granular bird feed in a manger

The regular use of a feed mixture with vitamins, amino acids, fats and other useful substances accelerates the metabolic processes in the body of birds, contributing to their rapid and healthy growth. Granular feed retains all its nutritional value even after heat treatment.

Comparative characteristics of granular and bulk feed:

Indicators	Feed Characteristics

	Granular	Loose

Structure	The same composition of the feed in each pellet. They are dense, one size.	The density and size of the fragments are different.

Volume	Low volumetric weight. It has good flowability. Quickly eaten.	Enough volumetric weight. Birds spend a lot of energy on eating.

Transportation	Transportable, convenient for loading and unloading in large quantities. Prevention of feed loss along the way.	Less transportable, during transportation, the separation of components occurs due to the different density and size of the ingredients.

Storage	Take up less space. Economic use of storage facilities and containers. Virtually unaffected by the environment. They prevent the appearance of fungus and the growth of microbes. Do not stick together and do not deform.	Loss of vitamins activity when exposed to heat. More susceptible to changes in temperature and moisture. The appearance of the fungus in the grain at the slightest increase in humidity. There is a risk of caking or freezing.

In addition, bulk feed regularly clogs the bird's beak, makes breathing difficult, which leads to poor eating, scattering and lowering the effectiveness of fattening. The feeder is always dirty and there is a risk of the appearance of pathogenic microbes in it.

Granular feed does not irritate the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, stimulates the appetite, thereby increasing the alertness of the bird, and crumbles slightly.

Granulated Bird Food

As a result, poultry eats everything it receives without scattering excess food. Such nutrition increases the productivity of poultry by 15%, and if you add useful substances to this, then by 25-30% compared to feeding with ordinary bulk mixtures. The consumption of granular feed per unit of bird gain is lower than the consumption of bulk feed.

Are there any disadvantages of granular feed

In addition to the pros, there is one small minus - this is the cost of granular feed. It is slightly higher than ordinary loose. But this disadvantage can also be turned into an advantage if you purchase a granulator or a granulation line for compound feed. This will reduce the cost of purchasing feed by 50%. In addition, if there will be a lot of processed products, it can be sold.

Granulation line LLC Artmash

The process of making feed using a granulation line:

The feed is fed to a horizontal mixer to make it homogeneous.
The mixture is sent to a metering auger, which ensures the continuous flow of equal portions of feed to the granulator.
Further, the rotating rollers push the mixture through the narrow holes in the matrix. Under it are placed knives that limit the length of the cylinder from the pressed feed. At the output, feed pellets of a certain size are obtained.
The shape of the granules is always cylindrical, but may vary in length and diameter. So granules with a diameter of 3 mm are suitable for adult hens, and 2 mm for chickens.
To reduce the temperature of the granules, after the granulator, the bucket conveyor feeds them to the cooling complex.
At the end of the finished feed falls on the vibrating table (to completely clear of the fine fraction) and then distributed into bags.

Granulation is primarily the preservation of all the nutrients in the granule. The dense structure prevents the separation of the mixture and reduces the risk of microbes on its surface. A balanced diet allows each bird to receive the same set of vitamins.

Testimonials from farmers with many years of experience prove that the use of pelleted feed increases the profitability of both large and small farms. Granular feed is a quality product that provides a significant increase in the productivity of animals and birds.