The feed may be pelleted or cubed after mixing. The usual pelleting process involves treating ground feed with steam and then passing the hot, moist mash through a die under pressure.
The pellets are then cooled quickly and dried by means of forced air. Pelleting has various advantages. Animals are not able to sort the feed which is offered. Wastage in feeding is reduced of relevance when outdoor feeding is employed.
Moreover, various is the prevention of segregation, the separation of ingredients from the rest of the mix. Under range feeding conditions when supplementation is required, one of the more convenient and practical ways of feeding cattle is by pellets or cubes. Different sizes of pellets can be prepared by changing the diets on the machines.
Pelleting may improve both intake and the efficiency of feed utilization, particularly with fibrous ingredients such as wheat milling by products.
Pelleting grains gives an increase in feed efficiency of up to 5 percent. Feed efficiency is increased because less feed is wasted when it is pelleted. Complete pelleted rations will slightly increase feed intake.
Pelleting also can help to reduce microbial counts in the feed. In United States, Illinois Station indicated greatly increased nutritive value of hay as a result of pelleting it. Pelleting of corn cobs also improves their nutritive value, similarly dehydrating and pelleting the whole plat corn silage will improve its value.
The advantages of pellets feed
