Feed production as a promising and successful business. Agricultural business: production of compound feed. Business plan for the production of compound feed: technology and necessary equipment

Great idea for a budding entrepreneur. It will allow you to get to know the agricultural sector better. To open such a business, a relatively small investment will be required, which can quickly pay off. But there is nothing to do without the knowledge and help of experts in this industry. Otherwise, it will not be possible to produce a truly high-quality and healthy product for animals.

Relevance of the idea

A business in the production of compound feed will be profitable provided that your own enterprise is properly organized. The agricultural industry itself gives the entrepreneur many prospects. Due to the constant increase in the number of farms, the demand for services for their maintenance is growing. To keep animals, nutritious and balanced feed and other consumables are required.

According to agricultural representatives who have been operating in this area for a long time, feed production is one of the most profitable and promising business formats.

The interest in this idea is also explained by the ease of sale. The demand of agricultural farms for compound feed is not fully satisfied, so even a novice entrepreneur has a chance to gain a foothold in this industry.

But, despite the demand for feed, the newly minted businessman will have to listen to the requests of his clients in order to satisfy their needs. Livestock breeders are not ready to buy low-quality goods. On the contrary, they place increased demands on him.

It is very important that the food produced is balanced, that is, it provides the animals with all the necessary microelements and vitamins. This causes rapid growth of individuals.

It is not at all necessary to work with ready-made recipes. On the contrary, new varieties of food will attract many potential customers. Today, entrepreneurs use grains, legumes and their hybrid varieties to produce feed.

The production of compound feed as a business will become profitable only if truly high-quality products are manufactured. Farmers easily determine nutritional value and balance; they refuse cheap, but poor in composition, products in favor of more expensive ones, but with a higher content of natural protein, vitamins, microelements and other useful components. If an entrepreneur manages to create a really good recipe for compound feed, then his products will be in demand.

The highest level of profitability is typical for large feed mills. But opening them requires serious capital investments - starting from 2,000,000 rubles. But small, home producers also have the right to exist. Only their level of income and profitability will be much more modest.

Types of feed

The production of granulated feed is intended for the production of food for various animals and poultry (chickens, guinea fowl, partridges, and so on). Cereals are used as the basis for such products. And in order for the feed to actively promote the growth of livestock, all kinds of protein additives are added to it. Additionally, the composition includes:

vitamins (the composition must contain vitamin E; vitamins A and D3 are useful for poultry);
amino acids;
microelements (iron, iodine, zinc, calcium and others);
specialized additives.

The composition of feed should be different for individuals of different ages (the amount of necessary biologically active substances will depend on this). The following indicators will depend on how balanced and complete the food is:

physical activity;
speed of growth and development;
rapid accumulation of fat;
wool growth rate;
volume of milk and eggs produced.

A nutritious and balanced diet is especially necessary for those animals and birds that are kept in closed pens and paddocks. Since they do not have enough physical activity, their growth and development must be stimulated with food.

The idea of starting home production of compound feed on a small scale may be of interest to owners of their own farms. In this case, the owner will be able not only to save on the production of food, but also to independently track the composition and select high-quality ingredients that are ideal for his animals and birds.

And yet, most farms prefer to purchase feed from trusted suppliers. That is why the idea of own feed production can bring really good profits to an entrepreneur. They also turn to such companies because the variety of product varieties they have is very large. After all, different types of animals require a special set of nutrients and ingredients. It is clear that pigs and chickens need to be fed different foods. Additionally, feed manufacturers create separate lines within one type in the following areas:

young animals;
pregnant individuals;
nursing animals;
adults.

Concentrated. This variety contains a wide variety of nutrients.
Balanced. These feeds are rich in vitamins and microelements that are beneficial for animals.
Full blown. Such feed is used by farms for everyday use.

An entrepreneur who decides to open his own business can specialize in one or several types of feed. It is necessary to decide in advance on the form in which the finished product will be produced. The following options are possible:

Loose. This includes feed of different grinds (fine, medium, coarse).
Granulated. The food is produced in the form of lumps, round and elongated shapes.
Briquetted. This variety is characterized by increased feed density. It is available in the form of square or rectangular tiles.

The demand for forms depends on who the feed is being produced for. For example, livestock farms prefer products in briquettes. But for pigs and poultry, farmers actively purchase granular or bulk feed of medium grinding.

It is better for an entrepreneur to decide what type of feed to produce after contacting a specialist. He will not only advise which format to choose, but also help you choose components and composition. After manufacturing the food, a professional will conduct all the necessary tests and laboratory studies in order to draw final conclusions regarding the usefulness and nutritional value of the product.

If necessary, a specialist can also help in drawing up a business plan. Working in the field of feed production, he can assess the value and real cost of products, the demand for it from farms, and the amount of necessary expenses.

If you plan to open a large feed production facility, then it is better to work in several directions at once. For example, specialize in the manufacture of products for different types of animals and birds. The more diverse the offered assortment, the more customers the entrepreneur will be able to attract, ultimately making an excellent profit.

Purchase of necessary raw materials

Entrepreneurs usually use hay, cake or meal as the main raw material for feed. Sometimes it is also high-quality straw, grain, but always without mold and fungal formations. Additionally, the composition includes:

meat and bone meal;
salt;
syrup;
vitamins;
protein premixes (vitamin and mineral supplements).

The final feed compositions can vary greatly. Everything will depend not only on who they are produced for, but also on the recipe and technology used.

The technology for producing mixed feed is largely determined by what ingredients are used to make it. If barley is used for bird food, for example, then before adding it, a procedure for exfoliating the grains must be carried out. Whereas for other feeds this procedure is not necessary. For the most part, entrepreneurs today prefer to produce feed in granules. This process consists of several successive stages:

Raw material grinding. A crusher is used for this step. Ultimately, the raw material is crushed into small particles measuring 10 or 40 mm.
Dosing. The raw materials obtained at the first stage are sent to the dispenser, and then mixed with various additives. This is a very important step, since the quality of the finished product will ultimately depend on the accuracy of dosing the ingredients.
Mixing. To combine the various components of the feed, they are sent to a mixer, where they are transformed into a homogeneous mass.
Granulation. The homogeneous mass from the mixer is sent by conveyor to a special agitator hopper. From it the mixture goes to the press granulator. Using this device, lumps of the same size and shape are made.
Cooling. This stage allows you to obtain finished products and weed out low-quality goods.
Packing. Finished products are packaged in bags.

If the entrepreneur is engaged in the production of bulk feed, then stages 4 and 5 are not used, and the finished product is packaged immediately after mixing.

Finding suitable premises

If an entrepreneur decides to open a full-fledged production with an automated line, then he will not be able to do without a spacious room where professional equipment, raw materials and finished products will be located. To work you will need:

manufacturing facility;
warehouse for storing raw materials;
warehouse for storing finished products.

There are no serious requirements for warehouses. The main thing is that it should be dry and not humid. But in the workshop, the ceilings must be at least 4.5 m. It is necessary to correctly position the equipment in the production room. There are established standards and instructions for specific automated lines. It will be difficult for a new entrepreneur to understand this, so it is better to purchase equipment along with subsequent installation and commissioning.

For full and productive work, you will need special equipment for the production of feed. The level of productivity and quality of raw materials will depend on the quality of the equipment used. If you plan to open a small workshop, then a grain crushing machine and a mixer will be enough for the work. But a full-fledged, albeit small, plant will require the purchase of an entire production line. Its cost starts from 900,000 rubles.

If the initial capital is small, then you can limit yourself to purchasing this equipment, and then invest the money received in the purchase of a powerful production line. Equipment that allows you to produce about 3 tons of feed per hour will cost 2,000,000 - 2,500,000 rubles.

The production of granulated feed will require even greater investments. To do this, you will need a specialized line costing 1,500,000 rubles. Its productivity will be equal to 1 ton per hour. And when purchasing a line with a productivity of 3 tons per hour, you will have to spend 3,000,000 rubles, not counting the cost of the shredder.

Sales channels

The success of a feed production plant depends not only on the quality of the finished product, but also on how correctly the entrepreneur can build a sales policy. In this area, this issue is most relevant due to high competition. If a businessman wants his products to be in demand, then he must decide on sales channels at the stage of drawing up a business plan.

Most often, entrepreneurs work with the following feed consumers:

farms;
resellers;
nurseries engaged in breeding animals and birds;
private individuals;
zoos.

To ensure that products do not spend a lot of time in warehouses, it is necessary to sell most of them to wholesalers. To do this, you need to conclude supply agreements at the initial stage. It is not necessary to work only with business representatives; you can also offer your services to government organizations.

But there should be few intermediaries involved in the repurchase and subsequent sale of feed, since they usually purchase goods at a lower price than ordinary organizations, because the essence of their business is to generate income in the form of a markup on the product.

The most promising buyers are private agricultural enterprises. Since they are interested in purchasing truly high-quality food, they will be willing to pay a fairly high price for the product.

If the production is located near the city, you can offer your services for supplying food to local nurseries and zoos. Fast delivery of products will be one of the most important arguments in favor of their purchase.

If an entrepreneur is engaged in the production of compound feed for his own needs, then he can sell the surplus of finished products on the market or to his neighbors and colleagues.

Calculation of financial results

Any entrepreneur, deciding to open a feed production facility, is interested in how much initial investment he will need. The most serious cost item in this case will be the purchase of specialized equipment. For a large automated enterprise you will need about 2,000,000 - 3,000,000 rubles.

If a businessman does not have that kind of money, then he can start production at home. Then second-hand equipment with a productivity of 0.5 tons of feed per hour will be enough for him. But even in this case, significant investments will be required - about 1,500,000 rubles. Under such conditions, about 90 tons of products can be produced per month. The cost of one ton is about 10,000 rubles. It turns out that in a month even small-scale production can bring in 900,000 rubles in income. The following expenses must be deducted from them:

rent - 100,000 rubles;
salary - 120,000 rubles;
raw materials - 200,000 rubles;
utility and transportation costs - 100,000 rubles;
taxes - 60,000 rubles.

As a result, the profit will be about 320,000 rubles. It will be possible to recoup the initial investment no earlier than in six months, subject to active sales of feed.

When the invested funds are returned, the entrepreneur should modernize production and purchase more powerful and modern equipment. At this stage, it is possible to increase the amount of feed produced.

Today, such an agricultural sector as livestock farming intensively uses animal feed in its activities. Compound feed is a product for feeding animals, which includes a variety of herbal and grain components, salt, fish and bone meal, vitamins and other microelements necessary for the normal functioning of birds and livestock.

The quality of the final product depends on the quality of the animals' diet. Therefore, farmers and individuals who are engaged in breeding farm animals are interested in obtaining cheap but nutritious feed.

1 Feed production technology

The production of combined feeds is a set of processes that make it possible to obtain a final product with different characteristics from initial raw materials. The resulting feed may differ in chemical composition, nutritional value, form, etc. Each type of feed has an exact recipe. When making them, it is necessary to take into account the type, sex, age and food purpose of the animal (milk, meat, wool, eggs, leather, etc.).

Types of combined feeds according to nutritional value:

Concentrated: minimal water and fiber content with a high concentration of cereal grains, which makes this feed nutritious.
Balanced supplements: contain certain microelements, proteins, vitamins, etc.
Complete ration feed: used for complete nutrition.

Feed production is established in the following forms:

Granules: dense, round, oblong lumps.
Loose feed: a product obtained by grinding granulated feed. Grinding can be coarse, medium and fine.
Briquettes: Rectangular or square slabs of high density feed.

1.1 Feed production technology (video)

1.2 Production of granulated feed

I want to expand on this topic because pelleted feeds are considered more effective in some aspects than other forms of feed. Each granule is a collection of those nutrients that are necessary for the diet of farm animals.

By eating granules, the animal receives the entire complex of necessary nutritional elements. In this case, the opportunity to choose the “tastier” parts of the food, leaving the ones you don’t like, is excluded. Granular feed is also good for feeding fish. Granules can remain in water for a long time without dissolving and without losing its nutritional properties.

The granule is generally cylindrical in shape. Its size depends on the type of animal. The diameter of the pellet for young poultry is 2-3 mm, for adult poultry and fish - up to 5 mm, for piglets - 8 mm, for adult pigs - up to 10 mm.

There are two types of granulation of combined feeds: dry and wet. In dry production, loose feed is exposed to steam, pressed and binding elements such as fat, molasses, etc. are added. Wet production is characterized by the addition of warm water to the mass. In this case, it is necessary to achieve a humidity of 30-35%. Granules are made from the resulting mass, which are then dried.

So, we can highlight the main stages of production of granulated feed:

grinding of primary raw materials;
division into doses and addition of appropriate microelements;
mixing and obtaining a homogeneous mass;
granule formation;
cooling;
packaging

2 How to set up a feed production business?

Today we can speak with confidence about the constantly growing demand for feed for the livestock sector. Therefore, enterprising people can consider feed production as a business. What do you need to know to set up a feed production line?

2.1 Raw materials

The main components for the production of combined feed for farm animals are:

hay, straw, cake;
grains and legumes;
herbal, fish, bone, limestone meal;
starch and molasses raw materials;
minerals: salt, chalk;
chemical raw materials: vitamins, antibiotics;
protein and vitamin supplements.

More than 100 types of raw materials are used to produce feed. The use of certain components and additives directly depends on the type of animal and its special characteristics.

2.2 Production premises

The production of combined feeds requires premises for placing equipment and storing finished products.

The production premises must meet the following requirements:

height not less than 4.5 m;
temperature at least 5 degrees Celsius;
availability of sufficient space to accommodate equipment and finished products;
workers – 1-2 people.

2.3 Special equipment

Various technologies are used to produce feed. They depend on the type of raw materials, composition and type of final product.

There are two types of equipment for the production of animal feed:

Multifunctional machines.

An extruder is a device for processing raw materials into a homogeneous mass. In this case, the final product is given a certain shape by passing the raw material through a special calibrating device, the cross-section of which corresponds to the shape of the finished product.

2.5 Production of feed at home

If you do not have sufficient space or the funds necessary to set up a large production line for combined feeds, you can organize a mini installation at home.

The owner of a private house or summer cottage will certainly have a room (or area for construction) to accommodate a mini-plant for the production of animal feed. Such equipment is characterized by smaller dimensions and, accordingly, lower cost.

The productivity of such feed milling equipment is 250-3000 kg per hour. It is lightweight, which makes it possible to move the unit without much effort. For such a mini-factory no special platform is required.You need to place it on a flat, stable surface. Then install the embedded elements, assemble the installation and connect to the power source.

The mini-factory includes electronic scales that are used to measure the exact weight of raw materials. Also, the feed production line can be equipped with an MKD control panel, which will make the work process fully automated.

The need for food is fundamental for both humans and farm animals. In the case of animals, hundreds of kilograms of feed are required per day to ensure proper fattening and maintain their functionality (milk yield, egg production). Therefore, many entrepreneurs are looking towards producing feed for sale. Of particular interest today, prices for which increase annually. This type of business is most beneficial for agricultural enterprises and livestock breeding complexes.

The former have an abundance of raw materials for feed, which are more profitable to sell in granules. The latter want to save on purchasing feed in the winter by preparing grass and grain pellets on their own in the summer.

Benefits of pellet food

Granular feed practically does not lose nutritional value during storage and retains more nutrients than loose feed.

Binders with substances valuable to the body are added to the granules: molasses, fat, hydrol, bentonites.

Eating and digesting food granules occurs as naturally as possible, almost the same as when eating natural food. Nutrients are better absorbed by the body.

Animals and birds spend less effort grabbing the pellets, and opening efficiency increases. Another advantage is that when feeding pelleted feed, the animal or bird cannot selectively eat the “tasty” ingredients and leave others.

The flowability of the product makes it less sensitive to temperature and moisture levels. There is no need to be afraid that the food will cake or freeze.

Convenient transportation, the possibility of automatic distribution without losing feed along the way.

High-quality granules crumble minimally and do not pollute the feeder; pathogenic microflora do not breed in it.

How profitable is the production of granulated feed?

You can’t rush into any business headlong without calculating the risks.

In pellet production the black hole is transport and procurement of raw materials. It is advisable to organize the plant in such a way as to incur minimal losses on transporting raw materials to the plant and delivering the finished product to the point of sale. Despite all transport costs, the price of compound feed must remain competitive.

The second concern of the feed producer is sales support. It is ideal to supply the product to neighboring farms that have stable demand and can be offered more profitably than competitors. Finding clients throughout the region/country is fraught with costs for marketing and brand strengthening, and you will have to offer an even lower price in the market than existing players.

These simple and logical conclusions do not always come to mind for breeders, who, in the wake of enthusiasm for the idea, tend to underestimate the risks.

So: a plant that has its own raw materials or is located in close proximity to the raw material base and sells feed to surrounding livestock complexes, flexibly adapting to their needs, will be absolutely profitable.

These conditions are relaxed if you arrange your own for personal needs. In this case, the product is consumed at the place of manufacture, there are no packaging costs, and there are no strong claims to the quality of the granule. Experts say that poultry and livestock complexes that produce feed on their own remove a huge portion of costs and achieve higher profitability.

Business plan for the production of granulated feed

It is very difficult to draw up a “rough” business plan for the production of granulated feed. There are too many unknowns and variables in this equation:

The scale of production you are preparing;

This implies the number of employees and the level of equipment;

The raw materials from which the product will be made, and the prices for it in your area;

Herbal flour.

All calculations of a business plan for the production of granulated feed should be taken as very rough estimate profits and expenses.

Feed granulation process

The peculiarity of the process is to grind crops and additives of different physical and chemical composition and mix them in the required proportions. Let us describe the main stages of production of granulated feed.

1. Grinding

To obtain a hard and dense granule, it is necessary to grind all components to a fine fraction. For these purposes, rotary and hammer crushers are used. often chosen due to the pneumatic system for unloading and unloading raw materials, which eliminates the need for additional feed devices (conveyors). Depending on the granulation technology of various feeds, sieves for the crusher are selected, which determine the size of the fraction into which the grain is crushed. The crushed feed crops are discharged through a hose further into a feed mixer or receiving hopper.

2. Mixing

The crushed material is sent to. There, different components are mixed by internal blades and form a homogeneous mass. At this stage, vitamin-mineral complexes can be introduced through additive input augers to enrich the feed mixture. The homogeneity of the mixture in all areas of the mass is an important qualitative indicator of the final product.

3. Granulation

The mixed mass enters the receiving hopper in equal portions. There it moves into the mixer, is steamed and sent to the pressing unit. As a result of the interaction of the matrix and the press rollers, the mixture under pressure is passed into the holes of the matrix and comes out in the form of hot granules.

4. Cooling

To successfully form the granule, it must be cooled to ambient temperature. For this purpose, the granules are delivered via a conveyor to a manually or automatically controlled cooling column. There they are blown with cold air, and small particles of grain are sifted through a sieve at the bottom of the column.

5. Packaging

Using weighing dispensers, the finished product is packed into bags or big bags.

Powerful equipment for the production of granulated feed

If you are looking for a reliable and powerful machine, then ALB Group is happy to design a granulation line for your production volumes. We organized both large feed projects with the production of more than 2-4 tons of product per hour, and small home factories for pelleting feed crops, designed for one or several farms.

Some of our projects:

What we offer to feed producers:

Industrial pelleting line with output from 500 to 7000 or more kg of feed per hour. The basis of the complex is.

Mini-plant for bulk feed, consisting of a rotary grain crusher and a vertical feed mixer.

A mini-plant for granulated feed, which uses, in addition to a crusher and mixer, a machine. This option is optimal when the breeder plans to produce granulated feed at home. and store feed for a long time for your own needs, and high productivity is not required.

How have we earned the trust of our customers?

ALB Group produces powerful Russian equipment for granulating biological waste. All main components of granulation lines are produced only independently from Russian and European components. Therefore, we are fully responsible for the quality of the equipment.

Since our head office is located in Nizhny Novgorod, we are always available for consultations, visiting the customer, supplying additional equipment and components. Every customer problem is dealt with by specialists on site. We do not offer universal solutions, but select equipment and matrices for each type of raw material. And since we have extensive experience in granulating various raw materials, we achieve high-quality granules in a given volume.