1. Benefits of grass pellets

1. The growth and utilization of forage grass are greatly affected by the season. In winter, the forage grass is withered and yellow, contains few nutrients, and livestock lacks grass to eat; in the warm season, the forage grass grows vigorously and is rich in nutrients, and the grass is too much for livestock to eat. Therefore, in order to make full use of the warm season forage grass, it is cut, dried, crushed, processed into grass pellets and stored, and can be fed to livestock and poultry in winter.

2. High feed conversion rate. Feeding livestock and poultry with grass pellets in winter can obtain more meat, eggs and milk with less forage.

3. Small volume. Grass pellet feed is only about 1/4 of the volume of raw hay, which is easy to store and transport, and has less dust, which is beneficial to the health of humans and animals; it is convenient to feed, which can simplify the feeding procedures and create conditions for intensive and mechanized animal husbandry production.

4. Increase palatability and improve forage quality. For example, sweet clover has a special smell of coumarin, which livestock do not like to eat. However, after being made into grass pellets, it becomes a forage with strong palatability and high nutritional value.

5. Expand the source of feed. For example, the branches of Caragana, Eurya, and Sheepwood are coarse and hard. After being crushed and processed into grass pellets, they become forage that livestock like to eat. Other by-products of crops, husks, straw, and various leaves can be processed into grass pellets and can be used to feed livestock and poultry.

2. Processing technology of grass pellets

1. The most critical technology for processing grass pellets is to adjust the moisture content of the raw materials. First, the moisture content of the raw materials must be measured, and then water must be mixed to the moisture content required for processing. According to measurements, the best moisture content for making grass pellets with leguminous forage is 14% to 16%; the best moisture content for grass forage is 13% to 15%.

2. Grass pellets are usually processed with a pellet feed roller. Grass powder is stirred and squeezed during the pelleting process. Under normal circumstances, the temperature of the pellets just out of the sieve hole is about 80℃. When cooled from high temperature to room temperature, the water content generally decreases by 3% to 5%. Therefore, the water content of the grass pellets after cooling does not exceed 11% to 13%. Due to its very low water content, it is suitable for long-term storage without mold and deterioration.

3. Grass pellet processing can be formulated into grass pellets containing different nutrients according to the nutritional requirements of various livestock and poultry. The size of the pellets can be adjusted by the pelleting machine and processed as required.

3. Pellet feed ingredients and effects

To produce compound feed for various livestock and poultry and improve the utilization rate of feed. Use 55% to 60% grass powder (green hay, crop straw), 35% to 40% concentrate (corn, sorghum, oats, bran, etc.), 3% minerals and vitamins, and 1% urea to form compound feed, and use a pellet feed pelletizer to press it into pellet feed. When pressing, add 17 kg of water and 100 ml of 37% formaldehyde solution for every 100 kg of feed to improve its nutritional content and digestibility. According to experiments, the average daily weight gain of 8-month-old lambs is 190 grams after fattening with pellet feed for 50 days. For every kg of weight gain, 6.4 kg of feed is consumed. The use of pellet feed to produce fat lambs is a feasible way to promote the development of the breeding industry, both in pastoral areas and in agricultural areas.