The cost of feed is emerging as a critical determinant of operational efficiency in animal feed mills. Pellet quality, measured as the Pellet Durability Index (PDI), is an important key performance indicator for commercial feed manufacturing, as it can impact both mill efficiency and performance of animals fed moisture-retentive feed. Factors such as production energy consumption, material loss due to low moisture content in the animal feed production process, production efficiency, and mechanical wear directly affect production costs. The moisture content of the feed product not only affects the product quality of the feed but also has a direct impact on the output rate and economic benefits of the product. Although the initial moisture percentage of livestock feed is around 12%, the hammer-mill-crushing, grinding, and ingredient mixing stages allow moisture to evaporate, and reduce the starting moisture level to usually below 11%. Standard practice is required to restore this loss to reach 12% moisture in the final feed.
Feed millers often don’t realize that some part of the feed can be wasted due to dust, fines, spillage, poor water stability, or shrinkage. This wastage is higher when feeds are dry and brittle. Moisture-retentive feeds, on the other hand, help keep more of your investment inside the animal.
Benefits of Moisture-Retentive Feed Over Conventional Feed:
Economic Impact
Feed products are marketed by weight. Marketing feed products at a moisture content below what is required results in the Processor losing revenue due to undesired weight loss.
Increased Pellet Durability Index (PDI)
Pellet Durability Index (PDI) is synonymous with the use of pellet quality. Ideal moisture at processing results in improved PDI. Improved PDI has a direct association with body weight gain and an inverse association with FCR in broilers.
Reduced fines
Improved moisture control in processing also has an effect on fines. Fines are “finer feed particles” that were unable to be converted into pellets and must be reprocessed. Reprocessing not only costs but also has a negative impact on micro nutrients. It also prevents the spillage of fines and hence reduces feed wastage.
Improved throughput
Increased throughput implies improved capacity utilization of the plant. Improved capacity utilization assists in reducing supply-demand pressure and premature break-even for the feed millers, which helps to improve the throughput of the feed.
Improved Cooking and Starch Gelatinization
An ideal moisture of ~12% at the mixer stage will facilitate the achievement of higher starch gelatinization at the conditioner stage.
Retentio
RETENTIO is an effective option to enhance water retention in the final feed. It lowers the surface tension of water, enabling improved penetration and better distribution. With the addition of RETENTIO, it is ensured that the water spreads evenly throughout the feed material and does not remain only on the surface of the particles. Humectants in RETENTIO are helpful in retaining moisture in the feed. In addition, the activated propionates of RETENTIO possess mould-inhibiting synergistic effects, further ensuring a persistent antifungal action.
Benefits
·Increases moisture retention and decreases process loss
·Improves throughput per hour
·Improves feed efficiency with moisture retention
·Maintains pellet quality/integrity
·Lowers dusting problems
·Lowers feed loss in hot climates
“Efficient Feed Moisture Retention with Retentio”