10.7 Feed Mill Management

10.7 Feed Mill Management

Feed mill is a production building where feed is produced for animals. Feed manufacturing process is made up of several units operations which include the following. • Raw material receiving and storage • Raw material weighing • Raw material grinding • Mixing of ingredients • Feed bagging and storage • Feed quality analysis

10.7.1 Receiving and Storage

• The first operation in the feed processing plant is the receiving of raw materials into the house. • Checked for identification and condition. • Sacked ingredients be stored in a dry location with proper protection from rodent and insect. • Storage area must be water proof and well-ventilated • Maintain proper storage temperature and check filter screens or windows periodically. • Store raw materials on proper and pathogen free pallets.

10.7.2 Raw Material Weighing

• It is the most important operation unit in a feed mill where mistakes cannot be accepted. • Use proper weighing scales to weigh materials according to the ration formulation formula. • The weighing of raw materials requires great care and inaccuracies must be kept to a minimum. • Errors in weighing small quantities of materials have greater influence on growth performance of animals than errors in weighing large quantities of materials. • Raw materials may be selected, weighed and subjected to grinding and mixing, or may be preground, weighed and mixed.

10.7.3 Raw Materials Grinding

Prior to utilization of feed, whole grain must be ground to reduce particle size. Grinding before mixing is the best procedure in feed formulation. Grinding may occur before or after weighing. It is a process with high power requirement which is often noisy and dusty. Reasons for grinding include; • Large fragments are reduced into smaller sizes • Some moisture is removed due to aeration. • It increases feed digestibility, mixing, palatability and bulk density. • It also improves the ease of handling and storability.

10.7.4 Mixing of Ingredients

• The next stage of production is the raw material mixing. It is done by using a mixer (either the vertical or horizontal one). • The job of the mixer is to produce a homogenous blend of all raw materials desired in a formulation.

• Mixing improves feed palatability even if one or more feed ingredients were originally unpalatable to the birds.

10.7.5 Feed Bagging and Storage

• Finished feeds should be packaged properly in new bags and weighed (45 or 50kg) depending on the age category of the birds. • It should be well-labelled and sealed • Packaged feeds should be stored under well-ventilated and water proof areas away from the processing unit. • Store processed feed on pathogen free pallets of shelves. • Bulk feed for farm should be delivered straight into the feeding silos. • Maintain strict biosecurity protocols at the feed storage.

10.7.6 Feed Quality Analysis

Feed samples should be taken for analysis weekly. This will help to determine the nutrient composition of the feed used in the farm or sold to customers. Proximate analysis procedures can be carried out at University of Ghana, Legon or Animal Research Institute to determine the levels of crude protein, crude fibre, moisture, nitrogen free extracts, metabolizable energy, etc. of the feed produce.