Member Lina Paola Pardo Quevedo
MemberForum Replies Created
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What is the role of aeration in material shrinkage during grain storage in silos?
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Consistent feed quality is ensured by testing raw materials, using precise feed formulations, maintaining equipment, and following standard operating procedures. Regular in-process and finished feed testing, proper storage, staff training, and strict adherence to GMP and HACCP standards help maintain uniform quality, safety, and nutritional consistency in every batch.
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Insightful
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Ensuring consistent feed quality, including nutritional content and pellet durability, requires a comprehensive quality control system that spans from raw material sourcing to the final processing and testing of the finished product.
Here are the key strategies:
1. Raw Material Quality Control and Formulation
The foundation of consistent feed quality lies in the raw ingredients and the formulation process.
Sourcing and Analysis:
Source materials from reputable suppliers and conduct rigorous incoming inspections.
Perform routine chemical analyses (e.g., Kjeldahl method for protein, Soxhlet for fat) on ingredients to verify actual nutritional content (e.g., moisture, crude protein, fiber, ash) against expected values. This helps adjust formulations for natural variations in ingredient quality.
Screen for contaminants like mold, mycotoxins, and foreign materials.
Preparation and Grinding:
Clean raw materials using magnets and sieves to remove impurities.
Ensure uniform particle size distribution through precise grinding. A consistent particle size is crucial for thorough mixing and optimal binding during pelletization.
Accurate Formulation and Mixing:
Use automated dosing and weighing systems to ensure the precise inclusion of macro-ingredients, vitamins, minerals, and other micro-ingredients according to the nutritionist’s formula.
Control mixing time carefully using a well-designed mixer (e.g., ribbon or paddle) to achieve a uniform blend without causing ingredient segregation.
2. Optimizing the Pelleting Process
The physical processing steps, particularly conditioning and pelleting, are critical for achieving high pellet durability.
Conditioning:
Add steam to increase the temperature (typically 80−90
∘
C) and moisture content (around 15−18%) of the mash.
The heat and moisture promote starch gelatinization, which acts as a natural binder, significantly improving pellet strength and durability.
Monitor and control temperature and steam addition with sensors to avoid damaging heat-sensitive nutrients.
Pellet Mill Operation:
Use a die with the correct hole size and compression ratio for the desired pellet size and density. Worn dies should be replaced promptly.
Adjust the pressure and speed of the pellet mill to achieve the necessary compaction. Higher pressure generally leads to denser, more durable pellets.
Moisture Management:
Maintain precise moisture control throughout the process. Excessive moisture creates soft, crumbly pellets prone to mold, while insufficient moisture makes them brittle.
The ideal final moisture content for storage is generally 10% to 12%.
Pellet Binders:
Inclusion of specific pellet binders (e.g., starch-based products like tapioca or specific gums) can be used to further enhance the structural strength and durability of the pellets.
3. Post-Production and Quality Assurance Testing
Consistent testing and monitoring are necessary to verify the finished feed meets all quality specifications.
Nutritional Testing (Chemical Analysis):
Routinely analyze samples of the finished feed to confirm that all target nutritional values (e.g., protein, energy, fat) are met, ensuring a consistent diet for the animals.
Use methods like Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (NIRS) for rapid, real-time analysis, alongside traditional lab methods (e.g., Kjeldahl, Soxhlet) for validation.
Pellet Durability Testing (Physical Analysis):
Measure Pellet Durability Index (PDI), the primary measure of physical quality. PDI indicates the pellet’s ability to resist breakage during handling, transport, and storage.
Common PDI methods include:
Tumbling Box Method: Samples are tumbled in a revolving box for a set time, and the percentage of remaining whole pellets is calculated.
Holmen Durability Tester: A pneumatic method that simulates air conveyor handling.
Check for other physical properties like hardness (resistance to compression) and fines (the amount of broken material).
Record Keeping and Traceability:
Implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and maintain thorough documentation of all raw material analyses, process parameters (temperature, pressure, mixing time), and final product test results.
Establish a robust traceability system to quickly identify and investigate any consistency issues back to a specific batch of raw materials or production run.
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Fish generally eat other fish but their diet can also consist of eggs, algae, plants, crustaceans, worms, mollusks, insects, insect larvae, amphibians, and plankton.
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Day-old chicks try to restore body temperature by lying down, but that prevents them from eating and drinking, which results in dehydration and insufficient energy intake.
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Chick sensitivity to temperature fluctuations may significantly influence the effectiveness of day old spray vaccination,
Temperature fluctuation will put stress on the livestock
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What are the reasons behind this?
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Access health status, Quality of food,Age of the birds
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Environmental modification can go a long way
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Leghorn
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THANKS FOR SHARING
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kudos for detailed feedback
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Thank you.👍
