Design, Fabrication And Performance Evaluation Of A Poultry Feed Pelleting Maching

ABSTRACT

Feed production for livestock, poultry or aquatic life involves a range of activities, which include grinding, mixing, pelleting and drying operations. According to Kwari, and Igwebuike (2001), they gave a summary of the different types of machinery needed for the production of various types of feeds and they include grinders, mixers, \ elevators and conveyors, mixer, extruders, cooker, driers, fat sprayers and steam boilers. The mixing and pelleting operations in particular, is of great importance, since mixing is the means through which two or more ingredients that form the feed are interspersed in space with one another for the purpose of achieving a homogenous mixture capable of meeting the nutritional requirements of the target livestock, poultry or aquatic life being raised. Pelleting is an extrusion type thermoplastic molding operation in which the finely reduced particles of the feed ration are formed into a compact, easily handled, pellet. Essentially, feed mixing can be done either manually or mechanically.