Dairy Cattle Feed Factory in Chile

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Project Snapshot

This 30t/h dairy cattle feed factory in Chile is not a greenfield project. It is based on an upgrade and restructuring of an existing site. The original buildings were retained where possible, but the internal flow, equipment layout, and dust control system were completely redesigned.

• Capacity: 30 tons/hour
• Annual Output: 150,000 tons
• Plant Area: 18,196.3 m²
• Building Area: 17,480 m²
• Working Days: 300 days/year
• Shift System: 2 shifts/day, 8 hours/shift
• Total Investment: approx. USD 1.65 million
• Equipment Cost: approx. USD 620,000

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How the Project Started

The client operates a dairy farming cooperative in southern Chile. Herd size had grown steadily over the past five years, but feed supply remained a weak point.

During the first inquiry in March 2025, the client wasn’t even sure whether to invest in a fully automatic cattle feed plant or continue purchasing feed externally.

A few concerns came up early:

• Feed consistency varied depending on supplier
• Transportation cost kept increasing
• Moisture instability affected storage life
• High-yield cows needed more precise nutrition

By May 2025, after several rounds of formulation discussions and rough layout sketches, the project moved forward.

Contract signed: July 2025

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What Made This Project Different

Unlike many standard cattle feed production line, this one had to deal with:

• Mixed raw material forms (granular, block, powder)
• High inclusion of protein meals (soybean meal, rapeseed meal)
• Strict control over pellet durability
• Limited building height in the old workshop

One thing that came up during design:
“The first few tons might not be perfect,” the client said during commissioning.

That turned out to be true—initial batches were slightly uneven in moisture. After adjusting steam input and conditioning time, output stabilized.

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Raw Materials & Consumption

In Chile, corn and soybean meal are widely available through imports and local processing. Rapeseed meal is also common due to regional oilseed production.

The formulation used in this dairy cattle feed factory in Chile is based on high-yield dairy feed.

Main Raw Materials

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Energy Consumption

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Equipment Configuration

The cattle feed mill equipment selection focused on stability and ease of maintenance rather than pushing maximum throughput.

Main Equipment List

1. Raw Material Receiving & Cleaning

• Feeding hoppers ×2
• Primary cleaner ×1
• Magnetic separator ×1
• Bucket elevators ×2
• Scraper conveyors ×3
• Dust collectors ×multiple

2. Grinding Section

• Fine grinding machines ×2
• Grinding bins ×4
• Air system + fans ×2
• Pulse dust collectors ×2

3. Premix & Micro-ingredient Section

• Premix bins ×8
• Batching scale ×1
• Double-shaft mixer ×1

4. Batching & Mixing

• Large batching bins
• Batching scales ×2
• Double-shaft mixers ×2

5. Pelleting Section

• SZLH508 cattle feed pellet machine ×1
• Conditioner + steam system
• Counterflow cooler ×1
• Rotary screener ×1

6. Packing Section

• Automatic packing scale ×1
• Sewing conveyor system ×1
• Bulk storage silos

7. Steam System

• LPG steam generator ×1
• Burners ×3
• Water pumps and controls

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Process Flow – What Actually Happens in Production

This cattle feed manufacturing plant follows a fairly standard route, but a few adjustments were made for local conditions.

Step-by-step Flow

1. Raw Material Intake
   • Corn, soybean meal, and rapeseed meal are manually fed into intake pits
   • Dust extraction starts immediately at this stage
2. Cleaning
   • Materials pass through a primary cleaning screen
   • Magnetic separation removes metal impurities
3. Grinding
   • Raw materials are ground to required particle size
   • Fine grinding improves pellet binding
4. Batching
   • Each ingredient is weighed automatically
   • Accuracy is critical here—especially for premix
5. Mixing
   • Double-shaft mixers ensure uniform distribution
   • Mixing time adjusted during commissioning
6. Conditioning
   • Steam added at ~65–70°C
   • Moisture and temperature balanced carefully
7. Pelleting
   • Material compressed through die
   • Pellet diameter adjusted based on feed type
8. Cooling
   • Counterflow cooler reduces temperature
   • Prevents pellet breakage
9. Screening
   • Fine particles removed and recycled
10. Packing

• Finished feed packed or sent to bulk storage

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Plant Layout Considerations

The original building had limitations:

• Ceiling height was not ideal for tall structures
• Existing warehouse had to be reused
• Material flow had to avoid cross-contamination

Solution:

• Vertical + horizontal hybrid layout
• Separate zones for raw materials and finished goods
• Shorter conveying routes to reduce energy use

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Shipping & Logistics

All equipment was shipped from Qingdao Port, China to:

• Port of San Antonio, Chile

From there, transport to the site was arranged by the client.

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Why This Project Works Economically in Chile

Chile’s dairy sector relies heavily on consistent feed quality. Seasonal pasture variation makes compound feed essential.

Key advantages of this dairy cattle feed factory in Chile:

• Reduced reliance on imported finished feed
• Better control over nutrition formulation
• Lower long-term feed cost
• Ability to produce multiple feed types

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A Practical Thought for Investors

Projects like this are not just about machines.

They’re about control—control over raw materials, formulations, and output quality.

Some clients come asking for a price first.

Others bring samples of their raw materials.

The second group usually builds better plants.

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Looking Ahead

Demand for dairy feed in Chile is steady, not explosive—but stable markets are often the safest.

For anyone considering a cattle feed plant project, the key question isn’t just capacity.

It’s whether the system can run consistently, day after day, without constant adjustment.

That’s where experience matters.