Modification of Feeding Mechanism and Performance Evaluation of Poultry Feed Pelleting Machine

Abstract

Ethiopia has the highest chicken population in Africa, and about 60% of the total chicken population of East Africa. Poultry production is mainly affected by animal feed because from production cost 60-70% cost is spent on the animal feed. To improve feed quality, increase chicken ingestion, growth, and reduce feed wastage pelleting feed has no alternative. In Melkassa Agricultural Research center there are food extruder machines which have high horsepower, low capacity and lack of feeding and cutting mechanisms. Feeding manually it is hard to find same product quality and optimum machine capacity. To eliminate this problem the modification of feeding mechanism and addition of cutting system was required. The pelleting machine consists of hopper, screw feeder, screw extruder, die plate, cutter and power transmission units (belts and pulleys). The physical properties (moisture content and bulk density) and frictional properties (angle of repose and coefficient of friction) of feed ingredients (maize grit, wheat bran and noug cake) was determined. The split plot experimental design was used; feed rate was the main plot and moisture content subplot. The experiment design was laid as 3x3 with three replications and had a total of 27 test runs (3x3x3=27). To the poultry feed formulation the feed mixed in the ratio of 50:35:15 for maize grit, wheat bran and noug cake respectively. The machine was tested with mixed feed to evaluate its performance in three fed rates (hoppers get opened 25, 50, and 75%) and three moisture content (15, 20, and 25%). Machine throughput capacity, pelleting efficiency increases both in increasing feed rate and moisture content. The optimum machine capacity 35.6 kg/h, pellet efficiency 90.8%, and 91.3% was found on fed rate (hopper gets opened 75%) and 25% moisture content. The improved extrusion machine increased the productivity of the machine, throughput capacity increased and the pelleting task became simple due to addition of the feeding and the cutting system. Thus it can be concluded that the prototype machine produced a quality pellet which is suggested by FAO. Therefore small-scale poultry producers can use this machine to reduce feed wastage, improve feed quality and increase their chicken productivity.