Development and performance evaluation of a livestock feed chopper/pulverizer

Abstract

Crop residues are bulky and low in nutrients. Their size reduction is imperative in order to compound them with other feed ingredients to achieve balanced feedstock for livestock. A chopping and pulverizing machine was designed and constructed to chop and pulverized feed materials. It comprises of chopping hopper, pulverizing hopper, metering device, chopping/ pulverizing chamber, screen and the processed feed outlet. The performance of the machine was evaluated on the basis of throughput capacity, pulverizing efficiency, scatter losses as dependent variables while moisture content was the independent variable. There were two level of speeds (1500 rpm and 2100 rpm) and five levels of moisture content (13 %, 16 %, 19 %, 21 %, 24 %, and 27 % dry basis). The throughput capacity, pulverizing efficiency had highest values of 222 kg/h and of 92.5 % respectively at moisture content level of 13 % (db) and 2100 rpm speed. However, the least scatter losses obtained was 2.5 % at moisture content level of 27 % (db) and 1500 rpm speed. As the moisture content increased, throughput capacity, pulverizing efficiency and scatter losses decreases at both speeds. The developed machine could enhance the use of crop residues in feeding livestock which could ultimately reduce the cost of livestock feed production.