Choosing Feed Mill Capacity for a Poultry Project
How farms compare feed demand, batch size, storage, grinding, mixing and conveying when selecting feed machinery.
The short answer
Start with the amount of finished feed needed each day and the realistic production hours available. Then define the feed form and recipe requirements so the supplier can assess the complete process, not only the nameplate capacity of one machine.
IXORTA prepares project-specific equipment configurations and export quotations from Türkiye. Use the checklist below to define your requirements; final specifications and scope belong in the written offer.
Prepare your enquiry
- Daily feed demand and number of recipes
- Product form and raw-material list
- Production hours and changeover expectations
Send the machine type, required capacity, destination country or port, project timeline and technical requirements.
Technical quotationFeed Mill Engineering: Daily Consumption & Hourly Capacity Calculations
Sizing an animal feed production plant (مصنع معدات أعلاف في تركيا / کارخانه خوراک دام و طیور) requires calculating peak flock consumption, planned operating shifts, and batch cycle allowances. Sizing a mill solely on average daily intake leads to operational bottlenecks during peak growth phases or seasonal grain moisture shifts.
$$C_{\text{hourly}} (\text{t/h}) = \frac{N_{\text{birds}} \times q_{\text{peak}} (\text{kg/day}) \times 1.20 (\text{surge margin})}{T_{\text{operating}} (\text{hours/day}) \times 1000}$$
Example: For a 300,000-broiler integrated operation with peak intake of $0.170\text{ kg/bird/day}$ running an 8-hour single shift:
$$C_{\text{hourly}} = \frac{300,000 \times 0.170 \times 1.20}{8 \times 1000} = \frac{61,200\text{ kg}}{8,000} = 7.65\text{ t/h}$$
In this case, an IX-FM-10T (8–10 t/h) turnkey pelleting line provides the optimal operational window, allowing maintenance downtime and future expansion.
Process Flow Architecture: Intake to Finished Feed Bagging
An industrial poultry feed plant manufactured by IXORTA comprises 7 synchronized stages engineered for uniform nutritional homogeneity and biosecurity:
| Processing Stage | Machinery Unit & Technology | Technical Parameters | Process Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Intake & Cleaning | Grid hopper, drum screen cleaner, permanent magnetic separator | Capacity 20–50 t/h, 99.5% ferrous trap | Removes stones, straw, strings, and metallic debris protecting downstream equipment |
| 2. Grinding / Milling | Water-drop type Hammer Mill (IX-HM series) | 3,000 RPM, motor 37–110 kW, screen $\varnothing 2.0 - 3.5\text{ mm}$ | Micro-grinding grains (corn, wheat, soybean meal) to D50 particle size $600-800\mu m$ |
| 3. Batching & Dosing | Pneumatic dosing gates, multi-ingredient micro-hopper | Electronic load cells, accuracy $\pm 0.1\%$ | Precision proportioning of macro-grains, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins |
| 4. Homogeneous Mixing | Twin-shaft Paddle Mixer (IX-MX series) | Mixing time 60–90 sec, $CV \le 3.5\%$, liquid nozzles | Uniform distribution of micro-nutrients and addition of vegetable oils / tallow up to 6% |
| 5. Conditioning & Pelleting | Steam Conditioner + Ring Die Pellet Mill (IX-PM series) | Temp 82–86°C, dry saturated steam, alloy steel die | Gelatinizes starch, eliminates Salmonella/E. coli, compacts into durable pellets (PDI > 97%) |
| 6. Cooling & Crumbling | Counterflow Pellet Cooler + 2-roll Crumbler | Air velocity $1.8\text{ m/s}$, pellet temp $\le \text{ambient} + 3^\circ\text{C}$ | Hardens pellets and crushes into uniform crumbs for starter chicks without fines |
| 7. Screening & Bagging | Rotary Sifter + Automated Electronic Bagging Scale | Speed 400–600 bags/hour, 10–50 kg sacks | Recycles fines back to pellet mill; automated sewing and palletizing readiness |
Turnkey Feed Mill Line Capacities Compared
Compare IXORTA standard factory configurations manufactured in Konya, Türkiye for international export:
| Plant Model | Pellet Capacity (t/h) | Total Installed Power (kW) | Steam Demand (kg/h @ 0.4 MPa) | Recommended Farm Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IX-FM-3T | 2.5 – 3.5 t/h | 75 kW | 150 – 200 kg/h | Small commercial farms & broiler cooperatives (50k–120k birds) |
| IX-FM-5T | 5.0 – 6.5 t/h | 132 kW | 300 – 400 kg/h | Medium integrated layer & broiler projects (150k–350k birds) |
| IX-FM-10T | 8.5 – 11.0 t/h | 250 kW | 600 – 750 kg/h | Large commercial feed producers & regional integrator operations |
| IX-FM-20T | 18.0 – 22.0 t/h | 480 kW | 1,200 – 1,500 kg/h | Multi-line industrial feed mills (poultry, cattle, sheep, aquafeed) |
Regional Export Engineering: Gulf, North Africa, Iran & Central Asia
IXORTA supplies feed mills engineered for specific regional raw materials and climatic conditions:
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq & Algeria
High ambient heat ($45-50^\circ\text{C}$) requires oversized cooler cyclone extraction and insulated steam pipelines to eliminate condensation. Heavy reliance on imported corn and soybean meal requires high-durability alloy ring dies ($X46Cr13$ vacuum hardened) resistant to abrasive mineral premixes.
Iran, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan & Central Asia
Seasonal grain variations (barley, sorghum, sunflower meal) require variable-speed hammer mill drives and double-stage conditioners to achieve high pellet durability index (PDI) when processing fiber-rich formulations.
Information to Include in Your Feed Mill Enquiry
- Target daily feed production (tonnes/day) and operational hours per shift
- Finished feed format (mash feed, $\varnothing 2.5 - 4.5\text{ mm}$ pellets, or crumbled starter)
- Raw material profile (grains, soybean, sunflower meal, oils, premixes) and local moisture content
- Grain storage requirements (pre-intake steel silo capacity and finished product bins)
- Building dimensions (available length, width, and clear ceiling height) and available power/steam
Contact IXORTA engineering at info@ixorta.com or WhatsApp +90 551 280 32 99 for complete CAD layout drawings, equipment flow diagrams, and CIF quotation to your destination port.