The document discusses pig feed pelletizing technology. It covers the key steps in pellet production including crushing, mixing, pelleting, cooling and factors that influence pellet quality. Crushing ingredients to a uniform size before mixing is important for achieving an even mix. The optimal pelleting temperature range is also discussed. Pellet size can impact pig health, with smaller pellets increasing the risk of stomach ulcers. Feeds should be formulated to meet the nutritional needs of pigs at different growth stages.

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Pig feed pelletizing technology
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3. T
he advantages of feed pellets in pig
farming are well documented so pig
breeders are inclined to adopt pellets
into feed and are interested in improving
feed pellet quality. Research shows that
there is a proportional relationship
between factors which determine pig feed
pellet quality. Feed formulation accounts
for 40 percent, raw material granularity
20 percent, modulating 20 percent, ring
die specification 15 percent, cooling 5
percent and other factors 5 percent.
So in the case of determined feed formu-
lation, feed pelleting technology is crucial to
pig feed quality. Feed pellets are produced
through a serious of processes such as crush-
ing feed ingredients, mixing raw materials,
pelleting, cooling, spraying and packing. Each
procedure is obligatory.
Crushing and mixing
The sequence of crushing and mixing
feed ingredients affects pellet quality. Mixing
feed ingredients after crushing has been
universally adopted in America, China and
other countries. Raw materials which have
different shapes and thicknesses should be
ground before mixing otherwise it will not
be possible achieve the optimal mixing
effect. Different sized ingredients are difficult
to mix evenly and the nutritional content
of the feed will be inconsistent. The mixing
uniformity is also affected by the grinding
fineness of feed ingredients. The closer the
physical properties of each component of
feed pellet (including particle size), the more
even the mixing.
Pig feed pelleting
Pelleting is the most crucial procedure in
the feed pellet process. Modulation is the
critical factor, which affects the end result.
Modulation can gelatinize starch, sterilize and
increase pellet quality (particle hardness and
durability), which is related to feed intake.
The moisture and temperature factors
mainly affect modulation. Supplying moisture
by steam can lubricate materials and reduce
energy consumption. However, the amount
of steam added should be restricted. Higher
or lower modulating temperature makes
pellet structure loose, increases pellet break-
age ratio and pulverulent ratio and loses
nutritional content. So discharge tempera-
ture of pig feed pellet should be controlled
between 76 and 92 degrees Celsius.
Feed pellet cooling
The pelleting follow-up processes such as
cooling and spraying should also be valued.
Pelleted feed has a high moisture content
and temperature. In this case, feed pellets
have a soft texture and are prone to mildew
during storage so the cooling process is nec-
essary. The cooling airflow and cooling time
should be controlled strictly. During the pel-
leting process some nutritional ingredients
are damaged or lost by the high temperature
and friction force, in order to ensure pig feed
pellet quality, some liquid nutrition should
be reintroduced to increase the energy level
and help prevent diseases.
Feed formulation for pigs at
different stages
Pigs at different growth stages have
different physiological characteristics which
should be considered when choosing feed
ingredients and designing feed formulas. If
pigs are well fed they can generate immune
tolerance to the anti-pathogenic substances
of feeds and protect the digestive tract.
The feed pellet ingredients should fit their
digestive ability and make preparation for
weaned pigs feeding. The feed ingredients
should have substances like milk residue
powder, added sugar, grease and also a
certain of vegetable protein.
Piglet feed pellets should mainly consider
the energy and protein level. The level is
between 20 - 25 percent and the coarse
fibre content is under 4 percent. The feed
pellets for piglets should contain balanced
nutrition, with a soft texture and good
palatability.
The amount of digestive enzymes and
their activity are radically reduced so the
weaned piglets cannot entirely digest the
vegetable protein which causes diarrhea.
The increased PH value, which inhibits lacto-
bacillus growth and stimulates the colon
bacillus production also causes diarrhea. So
feed pellets for weaned pigs should reduce
diarrhea and increase survival rate and daily
weight gain.
Feeds should incorporate high-energy
ingredients such as grains, fat and lactose.
The grains must be ripened because they
can improve digestion and absorption rate
and reduce diarrhea. The easily digestible
proteins such as bean pulp, whey powder
and soybean concentrate protein are ideal
protein sauces. Some antigen substances
within soybean concentrate protein like
glycinin and polymerization globulin cause
brief allergic reaction in the early growth
stage of weaned piglets. Even so, the feed
ingredients must contain soybean protein to
make piglets produce antiallergic ability.
Pig fattening stage
Increasing feed intake is the main factor
to improve growth rate during the fattening
stage.
Feed pellet ingredients are mainly made
up of corn and bean cake. The feed ingre-
dients for fattening pigs should be reason-
ably collocated so as to ensure the weight
Pig feed pelletizing technology
by Joyce Li, service centre manager, Amisy Machinery, China
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy16 | July - august 2013
FEATURE

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5. gain rate and meat quality. The proteins
and amino acids of feed ingredients are
used to stimulate the production of lean
body mass. Research shows that greater
energy intakes directly improve pigs’ pro-
tein and lean meat accumulation, the daily
weight gain, feed utilization rate and the
fat content.
However, when the daily weight gain
hits a certain degree, greater energy intake
does not ensure an increase in lean meat.
Greater or fewer trace elements may lead
to metabolic disorders, slow weight gain
speed, more feeds consumption and diseas-
es or death. So the amount and proportion
of amino acids, energy level, protein level
and mineral elements should be considered.
Sow feeding
Figure 1 shows the energy needs distribu-
tion for pregnant sows. From the table we
know most of the feed is used as energy.
During this period, it is important that
the feed ingredients are not mouldy or
degenerative as poor quality feed can cause
miscarriage.
Dried fat and soybean oil should be
added to the feed to improve the birth
weight and survival rate of piglets. Sows at
different pregnancy stages need different
nutrition and feed intakes. Research shows
that in the early pregnancy sows need about
6 g lysine while in the later stages the lysine
intake is 15 g. Figure 2 shows the is the daily
feed intakes of pregnant sows.
From the table we know that the daily
feed intake for pregnant sows should be
reduced to 2.5 kg during the first 30 days so
as to maintain the energy levels and reduce
feed waste. Then feed intake is adopted
according to the body conditions. In the
later gestation stage, feed intake is increased
to expand stomach capacity and meet piglet
nutrition needs. In the last stages of preg-
nancy, feed intake reduced to 1.5 kg so as
to prevent constipation before parturition.
During the lactation period, sows may eat
less which causes weight loss and influences
lactation. So lysine should be added to the
feed pellets so as to reduce weight loss of
lactating sows, improve piglet weight gain
rate, provide sufficient milk for piglets and
Figure 1: Energy needs distribution for pregnant sows Figure 2: Daily feed intake for pregnant sows
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy July - august 2013 | 17
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7. shorten the weaning-estrous interval. When
the piglets are weaned, the nutrition level of
feed pellets for sows should be sufficient so
as to improve pregnancy rate.
Pellet size and pig health
Pig gastric ulcers are a recurrent problem
which often occurs on intensive pig farms.
The gastric ulcer refers to the erosion or
necrosis of gastric mucosa tissues caused
by acute indigestion and stomach bleeding
thus forming the round ulcer surface and
even gastric perforation. It causes anorexia,
abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea
and gastrorrhagia.
The feed is a main pathogenic factor in
pig gastric ulcers. Feed factors relate to feed
formulation, feed ingredient quality, feed
pellet process technology and feed pellet
utilization technology. Feeds containing too
much corn will cause fibre shortage and
induce gastric ulcers. Adding coarse-fibre
raw materials such as grass meal or bran will
ensure a healthy fibre content.
A shortage of vitamin A, B1, E and sele-
nium can also cause the disease. The solution
is to ensure the vitamin content is sufficient.
In order to reduce costs, some breeders
use poor-quality feeds. Low-quality fishmeals
which contain a lot of coarse impurities
can cause gastric trauma and even produce
histamine which induces the gastric ulcers.
Breeders should use top-quality feed ingre-
dients which free from moisture and mildew
so as to prevent the increase of unsaturated
fatty acid content and the occurrence of
gastric ulcers.
Tests carried out by Kansas State
University, USA show that the particle size
of corns is reduced with 100 µm each time
the pigs’ weight gain can increase by 1.3 per-
cent. This is because when the comminuting
fineness is reduced, the anti-nutritional factor
can be destroyed and feed nutrients can
fully contact with digestive enzyme so as to
increase the feed utilization rate.
However, when the comminuting fine-
ness is reduced, the gastric ulcer rate and
keratinization degree is increased. Fine feed
pellets increase the feed and water intake
which strengthen the materials’ flow-ability
in pig’s stomach. Therefore, pepsin and
gastric acid are constantly in contact with
the mucous membrane of the cardia which
is easy to produce stomach ulcer. As gastric
ulcers in pigs are generally related to fine
feeds, the size of feed pellets is a question
worth considering.
In production, the comminuting fine-
ness should make appropriate adjustments
according to pigs’ productivity at different
growth ages. Research shows that commi-
nuting fineness of feed ingredients for piglets
is optimal between 300 µm and 500 µm.
Appropriate granularity can increase feed
intake and digestive rate so particle size for
sow feeds is best between 400 µm and 500
µm. It is optimal between 500 µm and 600
µm for fattening pigs. Other factors such as
irregular feeding time, frequent feeds change
or feeding interruption can also lead to
stomach ulcers. So pigs should be scientifi-
cally fed.
Bacterial infection
During the pelleting process, feeds are
modulated by high temperature which can
kill the harmful substance of feed ingredients
such as Salmonella, corona virus and coliba-
cillus. Bacterial infection can cause damage
to pigs. Helicobacter pylori can cause ulcers
and cystic gastritis. The corona virus causes
vomiting and can damage stomach ganglion
which results in the lost control of stomach
muscle contraction and the gastric disten-
sion.
Most breeders use antibiotics to increase
the animal’s immune system and prevent
disease but the continuous usage causes
resistance to drugs, destroys the intestinal
flora balance and affects human health. The
oligosaccharide additive has the antibiotics
function but it has no pollution and residue.
It is considered as the ideal replacement of
antibiotics and can be added to the feeds
pellet.
Feed and the environment
Now consumers not only require nutri-
tious, safe and healthy pork but also want
pig feed pellets that are ecological and
the whole rearing process is environmen-
tally sound. However, foul gases such as
ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, skatole, trimethyl
ammonia and the nitrogen, phosphorus,
heavy metal in pig excrement result in envi-
ronment pollution.
The root of this pollution is in the feed.
Nitrogen and phosphorus content which
can not be well utilized by pigs are the main
pollution sources. Feed ingredients with
higher digestion rates and less nutritional
variation can reduce the nitrogen emissions
by 5 percent. So feed ingredients should be
reasonably selected.
Pigs at different stages have different
nutrition needs. Research shows that adapt-
ing the amino acids levels according to pigs’
growth stages and physiological state can
effectively reduce the nitrogen and phospho-
rus emissions.
Studies indicate that pig emissions are
related to the composition of pigs’ feed
pellet. Every 1 percent reduction in protein
content will reduce the nitrogen excretion
by 8.4 percent. And when the coarse protein
content is reduced from 18 - 15 percent
the nitrogen emission is decreased by 25
percent. So reducing the protein content
and improving the protein digestion rate are
important measures to reduce the nitrogen
pollution of pigs manure.
Pig feed pellets are produced based on
the nutritional needs of pigs, the nutritional
value of feed composition and by adopting
a scientific formula so pigs can fully exploit
the nutritional benefits and reduce nitrogen
emissions. Considering the side effects of
antibiotics and drugs, breeders are more
inclined to add safe and ecological feed addi-
tives to treat disease, improve feed utilization
rate and pigs’ production property, reduce
pollution to environment. For example, add-
ing a certain amount of vegetable acid,
protease and probiotics can maintain the
balance of pigs’ intestinal flora, improve feed
pellets’ utilization rate, significantly reduce
the discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus
and protect the environment.
More InforMatIon:
Email: service@feed-pellet-mill.com
Website: www.feed-pellet-mill.com
Grain&feed millinG technoloGy18 | July - august 2013
FEATURE

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