Animal Feed Block Formation Machine

India has a huge livestock population constituting 53% of the world’s buffaloes, 20% of
goats, 15% of cattle, 4% of sheep and poultry an 1% of pigs. The problem of production,
distribution and management of the animal feed is, accordingly, of very high magnitude. The
animal feed in the country is based on major constituents of dry roughage from crops. The
bulk density of the fodders, hay ad straws, after threshing, is very low requiring very large
storage space. Transportation of these fodder crops is a serious problem because of their low
bulk densities and low transport capacity of vehicles. This is further aggravated due to the
very large size of the country and the diverse varieties of crops grown/used for animal feed.
Thus, when a natural calamity strikes a region causing dearth of fodder, it becomes difficult
to carry fodder from surplus regions. Farmers do not have sufficient time between harvesting
of matured crop and sowing of next seasonal crop. As a result, crop residues suitable for
feeding are being burnt in the field. The burning of crop residues pollutes the environment
and is unlawful, even as a big gap is generated between the supply and demand of fodder. In
and around urban area, cattle are forced to eat domestic garbage for their survival. A large
number of cattle perish for non-availability of animal fodders and balanced feed. The
problem can be solved only through a planned scientific management of transportation,
storage, and management of crop residues and hay in different regions of the country. India
produces 540 million tones of crop residues annually which could be used for feeding the
country’s animal population. There are regions with deficit and excess production of these
crop residues in the country. The feed management, with roughages diets, would improve
manifold If processes are developed such that the deficit and disaster prone areas could be
stocked with processed animal feed.

Feed blocks: a solution for feed management

Densification of roughage-based crop residues in compact, ready to eat feed block is an
effective solution for animal feed management. It is possible to formulate complete animal
feed blocks using straw and diet supplements such as molasses, concentrates, minerals and
salts. Such feed blocks can be stored over a long period of time and transported economically
over long distances. These could be stored in large quantities in less space. These feed blocks
could be made into customized sizes, shapes and formulations for different animals according
to the prescribed diet of the animal. The Division of Agricultural Engineering of the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute developed an animal feed block formation machine to serve
the purpose of animal feed management.

Technology

Feed processing units are available at present for pelletization of concentrate. However,
these units cannot handle a feed mixture having large sized straw, high proportion of chopped
fodder and crop residues. The available balers are used for baling high moisture crop plants,
grasses and crop residues. The bale density and shelf-life is low and uniform mixing of
ingredients with hay, straw and grasses is also not possible. Therefore, a machine for
moulding animal feed into blocks using a whole range of crop residue, feed supplements and
suitable binders was developed. It can form compressed bocks in the sizes appropriate and
economical for handling, transportation and storage of large volumes of animal feed. The
details of the machine are given in the following paragraphs.
Prototype of animal feed block formation machine
A prototype machine for compaction of biomaterials using hydraulic cylinders for application
of compaction pressure up to 425 Kg/cm2 was designed, fabricated and extensively tested.
The machine is powered with a 25 HP electric motor to run its hydraulic system. The
machine has been patented.

Structural and operational details of the machine

Frame
The frame consists of a feeding chamber, a compression chamber and a feed block retention
chamber. It also supports hydraulic cylinders. The frame is made out of mild steel plates and
channels

Hydraulic cylinders
The machine has two hydraulic cylinders of different sizes. The bigger cylinder, which
moves forward and backward, is used for compression of feed and ejection of feed block. The
smaller cylinder moves upward and downward for opening and closing of the door provided
in front of the compression chamber.

Power pack
Power pack of the machine consists of an electric motor, high and low pressure pumps, a
pressure switch, a pressure gauge, a solenoid valve, an oil reservoir, a filter, etc. The
operation of hydraulic cylinder is conducted through the high and low pressure pumps. The
pumps supply the hydraulic oil from reservoir to both the hydraulic cylinders. Because of
this, the main cylinder moves forward and the gate cylinder moves downwards. During
backward and upward movements, the oil from the cylinders flows back into the oil reservoir.
The solenoid valve governs the direction of movement of cylinders.

Electric control panel

The panel consists of contractor, relays, switch and timers. The panel operates the electric
motor, oil pump and hydraulic cylinders. It controls the movement of the hydraulic cylinders.
The machine is automatically and manually operated. It is achieved with the electric control
panel.

Working of the machine

1. Properly sized animal feed material is placed in the hopper of the machine. The
quantity of feed is calculated according to the volume (20cm x 20 cm x L (thickness)
and the density desired of the feed block. The fed material may include diet
supplements, molasses and appropriate binders.
2. 2. Using the control on the console, the settings for cut-off pressure (and thickness of
the feed block) are adjusted and the motor is started. The hydraulic cylinder moves
with its crosshead compressing the feed material into the mould.
3. At the ct-off pressure, the cylinder stops; the second hydraulic cylinder is activated
and opens the exit of the compression chamber.
4. The main cylinder pushes the compressed feed block out of the chamber.
5. The cycle of events comprises both manual and automatic steps.
6. Significant features of he machine
7. It is very simple in operation and only one person (unskilled/semiskilled) is required
to regulate the entire operations of the machine
8. The working pressure of the machine can be varied up to 425 kg/cm2
 9. The output capacity of the machine is 250 kg per hour
10. It can compact all kinds of feed materials to square shaped blocks (20 cm x 20 cm) of
desired thickness and weight
11. The bulk density of the roughage based feed blocks from the machine was found to be
at least 4 to 5 times more than that of the original feed material.

Advantages of complete feed blocks:

• Ease in handling of feed materials and saving of labour in feeding
• Require less transportation and storage space
• Less transportation and storage costs
• Reduction in wastage o crop residues
• Offer scope for ration manipulation according to the requirement of animals in
different physiological states
• Offer scope for incorporation of hard or large-size feed materials into the feed blocks
• Prevent selective eating by animals
• Useful to induce animals to consume proper proportion of roughages and concentrates
for optimum performance
• Since feed material becomes soft under compression, animals prefer eating blocks
• Milk yield and fat contents increase on feeding complete feed blocks
• Strategic utility of the machine
The main and far reaching utility of the technology lies in its process and capacity to
compress crop materials reducing the volume by 4 to 42 times (Table 1). In case of
transportation and storage of these materials, the savings and profits would also accrue by the
same factors. Essential crop residues could be stored, densified into blocks and weather
protected in the form of feed blocks and stored over much longer durations in strategically
located animal feed banks in scarcity prone areas. Available for use during dire situations,
these feed reserves could save immensely on management of animal feed during natural
disasters like floods and famines.
The machine is also capable of custom sizing the feeds blocks for animal feed and other uses.
The machine can compact animal feed into transportable blocks. Besides, the machine is
capable of compacting a variety of other crops residues and wastes for fuel and industrial
purposes. It would be a very eco-friendly and environment protecting process.

Bulk desnsity and volume reduction of raw feeds and blocks at compaction pressure of
300Kg.cm2 and moisture content of 12% (wb)

S. No. Feed/crop residue Bulk density of Bulk density Volume

feed (Kg/m3) of feed block reduction
(Kg/m3) factor
1. Groundnut straw 81 553.63 6.8
2. Ardu leaves 51.5 539.06 10.4
3. Mustard straw 51.48 562.21 10.9
4. Gram straw 66.48 471.94 7.1
5. Wheat straw 51.2 305.22 5.9
6. Wheat straw (with 5% 57 443.5 7.8
molasses)
7. Sorghum straw 70.0 437.20 6.2
8. Paddy straw 70.0 279.00 3.9
9. Forest grass 66.33 503.00 7.6
10.0 Pearl millet 119.6 511.10 4.3
11 Cenchrus grass 67.5 486.84 7.2
12 Arhar straw 55 689.06 12.5
13 Sugarcane baggase 61 567.50 9.3
14 Cluster bean 109.0 596.67 5.5
15. Mango leaves 17 643.20 37.8
16 Khejri leaves 67.5 542.0 8
17 Pala leaves 65.5 538.4 8.2
18 Maize (chooped) 90.7 520.8 5.7
19 Sugarcane top 105.0 422.0 4.0
(with mustard cake 10% +
molasses 10%)
20 Sewan 91.6 700 7.6
21 Groundnut halum 77.1 500 6.5
22 Moth chara 84.7 901 10.6
23 Cotton stalk 140 785 5.6
24 Rice bran 361 1197 3.3
25 Hay (Berseem) chopped 55 1050 19
26 Korean lawn grass (Zoysia 38 597 15.7
japonica)
27 Doab grass (Cynodon 15 630 42
dactylon)
28 Maize cob (ground) 498 843 1.7

Testing of the machine

Sustained testing of the machine has been done to formulate feed blocks using wheat straw,
mustard straw, bajra kadbi, doab grass, pasture grasss, guar phalgati, moth chara, chane ki
khar, groundnut straw, maize cobs, etc. The feed blocks were used for feeding sheep, cows,
bufalloes, camels and goats,. Reports from the animal nutrition scientists from CSWRI,
Avikanagar; CSKHPKVV, Palampur; NRC on Camel, Bikaner; IGFRI, Jhansi and RAU,
Bikaner indicated very positive improvement in animal productivity and material handling
and management
Impact of technology
The Animal feed blocks have been installed at the following places by the institute
Sl. Address Number
No. installed
1 Department of Animal Nutrition, CSWRI, Avikanagar, Rajasthan 1
2 Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal 3 (2+1)
Science, CSKHPKVV, Palampur, (H.P.) (Stationary & Mobile)
3 Division of Plant Animal Relation, IGFRI, Jhansi (H.P.) 1
4 College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Rajasthan Agricultural 1
University, Bikaner, Rajasthan
5 Division of Agricultural Engineering, IARI, PUSA, New Delhi 2
6 National Dairy Development Board, Anand (Gujarat) 1
7 BAIF Development Research Centre (NGO), Pune, Maharashtra 1
8 Central Institute for Research on Buffallo, Sirsa Road, Hissar, Haryana 1
9 Division of Animal Nutrition, S.K. University of Agricultural Science 1
and Technology, Srinagar
10 Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Berasia Road, Nabi Bagh, 1
Bhopal (MP)
11 Malbros Farms (Pvt) Ltd, Village Lodhi Walla, Roorkee Haridwar, 1
Uttaranchal
12 Khosboo Feed Mills Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, Haryana 1
13 Instructional Dairy Farm, GBPUAT, Pantnagar 1
14 University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP) 1
15 NRC on Mithun, Jharnapani, Nagaland 1
16 Regional Forage Production and Demonstration Station, Kalyani, West 1
Bengal
17 Regional Forage Production and Demonstration Station, Gandhinagar 1
(Gujarat)
18 Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Mobile 1
19 NRC on Camel, Bikaner (Rajasthan) 1
20 Indian veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (UP) 1
21 Regional Station, IVRI, Muktshwar (Uttaranchal) 1
22 Uttaranchal Livestock Development Board, Hrishikesh (Uttaranchal) 1
23 NRC on Yak, Dirang (Arunachal Pradesh) 1
24 National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal 1
25 ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Barapani 1
26 Mithila Dough Ptadak, Samastipur. 1
27 SKUAST, Srinagar (Mobile unit) 1
28 Department of Animal Husbandry, Govt. of Bihar 8
29 SKUAST, Jammu (Mobile unit) 1
30 CSK HPKVV, Palampur (Mobile unit) 2
41
 BROCHOUR
ON 
ANIMAL FEED BLOCK 
FORMATION MACHINE