PET FEED MILL

The production cost of pet food is the same as that of feed production, but the proportion of costs in various aspects is different, especially in some areas (such as drying, energy, equipment maintenance fees, etc.). In addition, the processing costs of pet food factory products are very considerable. Therefore, the cost of each product is evaluated independently.

(1) Product shrinkage rate

The moisture content of the raw materials when entering the pet feed mill production workshop is between 10% and 13%, and the moisture content of the dry and expanded pet food for sale is between 8% and 10%. Therefore, the direct shrinkage in weight will cause corresponding economic losses.

The waste, powder and residue caused by the starting, stopping and continuous operation of the pet feed mill equipment also cause the shrinkage of the products. The shrinkage rate of the products produced by the dry puffed pet food factory is generally 3% to 5%.

The crumb generated during processing can be recycled as part of the formulation after drying and grinding. The recycling level is between 5% and 20%, depending on the actual situation.

 (2) Energy

Energy utilization is to generate steam and electricity in the form of fuel. Compared with the production of ordinary feed, the production of dry extruded pet food requires more energy. Energy requirements will vary depending on the process and method. A 3-year study compared the total energy consumption of two types of feed processing, and the latter required approximately 7 times the energy of the former.

(3) Energy consumption

The energy consumption in the pet feed mill production process is critical to the economic benefits of the puffing workshop. A typical workshop can use electricity, natural gas, and oil as energy sources. Electricity is used to start all engines, and natural gas or oil is used to heat water and provide steam for expansion and drying.

Although energy costs are related to profits, compared with a 1% to 2% change in recipe cost and a 1% to 2% change in public procedure cost, the former has a benefit impact that is 16 to 32 times greater than the latter. A 2% reduction in puffing and drying costs will save $4,700 per year, while a 1% reduction in raw material costs will save $70,000 per year.

The above data are based on pet feed mill equipment operating 5 760 hours per year with an average net production capacity of 7 t/h.

(4) Maintenance

During the expansion process, energy is transferred from the surface of the expansion machine to the product, which results in high wear rates and high maintenance and replacement costs. Comparing the maintenance and repair costs of a puffing workshop and a dry puffed pet food production workshop, the latter is about 2 to 3 times that of the former.

(5) Labor

For the puffing/drying production department, the labor cost is smaller. 1 worker can control 2 complete pet food production lines from the extruder inlet to the dryer outlet, or if a 2nd operator controls the dryer, 1 worker can effectively manage 4 extruders per section. Labor costs are certainly lower than equipment maintenance fees.

Individuals or companies that decide to enter the pet food industry should consider today’s pet food industry from the following aspects.

(1) Market

A comprehensive market analysis is a must before deciding to enter the market. The pet food industry in the United States is a mature industry with an astonishing growth rate over the past 20 to 30 years, which is very attractive to investors. However, in recent years, competition has become increasingly fierce and the growth rate has stabilized. In most markets, new entrants must crowd out some of the existing suppliers’ markets.

(2) Early investment

Compared with animal feed mills, extruded pet food manufacturers require complex and expensive equipment. Therefore, there must be enough sales volume to cover the maintenance costs and low-cost production. Extruding and/or packaging equipment needs to be purchased and installed first.

(3) Total production cost

In addition to fixed production costs, there are variable costs for producing extruded pet food (such as labor, use and maintenance costs), which may be 2 to 3 times that of feed production, especially if all or most of the products require packaging.

(4) Environmental sanitation and good production operation regulations

Feed manufacturers who want to enter the pet food market must understand factory hygiene standards and the U.S. FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices. And the food industry chain will have its own hygiene and infection standards, which suppliers must meet.

Changing consumer demands and launching new products have created a completely competitive market. But those producers who are committed to producing nutritionally reliable, high-quality products continue to capture more of the market, and new producers are constantly joining.

Things that need to be considered when designing the pet feed mill layout are as follows:

Pet feed factory layout design requires reasonable arrangements for various production and living buildings, roads, docks, utility pipelines, and greening in the factory area.

1. Whether the investment intensity can meet the requirements of various local industrial parks.
2. Determine the location and direction of the pet feed mill factory gate according to the red line map provided in the industrial park.
3. The spacing between factories should consider the relevant requirements of the fire protection law and the convenience of logistics vehicles passing through.
4. When designing the elevation of the building, the overhead engineering pipe network and the underground laying construction plan, the local climate environment and geology and landforms should be considered.
5. The design of logistics in the factory should prevent the intersection of human flow and logistics as much as possible, and the operational safety of the enterprise should be taken into consideration during the pet feed mill design.
6. Understand the latest regulations, specifications and standards in the pet feed industry.
7. Multiple options should be compared and the best option should be selected.

The process design of a pet feed factory is a relatively complex task. A good process design not only guarantees the quality of the product, but also reduces investment and use costs, and is both aesthetic and practical. At the same time, process design also needs to be quite flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of producing various products.

Things to consider in pet feed mill process design:

1. Based on the description of the product line and raw materials in the early preparation stage, select the process specifications and determine the process.
2. According to the description of the pet food production process, calculate the process parameters and select the process equipment.
3. Based on the determined production process, determine the power, dust removal, odor removal, and noise reduction plans required for the process.
4. With reference to ergonomics, formulate process operation procedures and determine program control methods.
5. Do a good job in designing and determining the enterprise information network.

Before we design the pet feed mill process for you, we need to know the following information:

1. The expected scale of the pet food factory, the commercial radius of the product, and the customer’s product usage habits.
2. Product varieties, specifications and classification of product lines as required by regulations.
3. Types, quality specifications, physical properties (including density, fluidity, storage conditions, etc.) and receiving methods of raw materials.
4. Product formula composition and expected dosage of raw materials.
5. Specific indicators of process design, such as requirements for mixing, liquid addition, granulation, extrusion and puffing, etc.
6. Equipment that can be purchased or customized to meet relevant parameters.

Here is some information that customers can provide to us, but for customers who are entering the pet feed processing industry for the first time, we need to provide it to them. If you have any questions about this, please contact us directly online, and our technical consultants will provide you with free consulting services in order to provide detailed suggestions and plans for pet feed mill factory construction!

The scope of pet food factory process design mainly includes the process design of direct and indirect production parts such as production workshops (main and auxiliary material processing workshops), vertical cylinder warehouses, auxiliary material warehouses, and finished product warehouses. Process design is a comprehensive and comprehensive work, which is not only technical and economical, but also a highly artistic work.

The task of pet feed mill process design is to prepare process design documents and design process drawings.

1. Pet feed mill process design documents

• Overview of product types and output, description of types, quality and annual use of main and auxiliary raw materials.
• Description of the contact between each production department.
• Process flow description (with pet feed mill flow chart).
• Process equipment selection calculation and animal feed mill equipment list.
• Calculation of requirements for water, electricity, steam, coal (oil), etc.
• Equipment, materials, and power cost estimates.
• Overview of labor organizations and work systems in factory workshops and warehouses.

2. Pet feed mill process design drawings

• Pet food manufacturing plant process flow chart.
• Main workshop, vertical cylinder warehouse, auxiliary material warehouse, equipment floor plan, longitudinal and transverse sections.
• Diagram of pre-embedded and overhead footing holes on the floor where the equipment is installed.
• Equipment layout and installation drawings.
• Ventilation and dust removal air net.
• System diagram of steam, compressed air and liquid addition system for production.
• Non-standard and referenced standard equipment diagrams for various types of supporting process equipment.

3. Basis for process design and materials to be mastered

• The proposed scale of the pet feed mill.
• Product varieties and specifications and development requirements.
• Pet food formulas and varieties and physical properties of commonly used pet food raw materials.
• Collection and distribution methods of raw materials and finished products.
• Investment scale and implementation steps.
• Process design indicators and personnel quality of the proposed factory.
• Comprehensive overview of domestic and foreign pet feed mill factories of the same scale.
• The technical level, performance and quotation of relevant processing techniques and equipment at home and abroad.

1. Nutritional needs of cats and dogs

(1) Cat

Cats are omnivorous animals that eat mainly carnivores. They are lively and active and have a strong metabolism. They need sufficient nutrition to grow normally. Protein is the basis of life. It is an essential substance to maintain the healthy growth and muscle activity of animals, so comprehensive and balanced protein is needed. Taurine (aminocaproic acid) promotes the normal growth of the cat’s retina and ensures the cat’s sharp vision. Fat is the solvent for fat-soluble vitamins and also provides the body with unsaturated fatty acids that cannot be synthesized or are insufficiently synthesized in the body. Linoleic acid makes the cat’s fur shiny. Vitamins are necessary to maintain normal physiological activities. Cats can synthesize vitamin K, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B12, etc. Vitamin A is particularly important for cats’ vision, but excessive intake can be toxic. Carbohydrates and moderate amounts of fiber can provide energy and improve digestion. Calcium is the main component of bones and teeth, and plays a supporting and protective role in bones and teeth.

(2) Dog

Dogs and cats have very similar living habits and nutritional requirements. Dogs are omnivorous animals that eat mainly carnivores. Because dogs are active, are usually larger than cats, and have a strong metabolism, their nutritional needs are greater than that of cats. Dogs can synthesize vitamin C but cannot digest cellulose. Cats and dogs of different breeds, ages, and physiological stages have slightly different nutritional needs and dietary characteristics.

2. Development ideas for cat and dog pet feed mills

(1) Development principles:

For a pet feed mill, according to the nutritional needs and eating habits of cats and dogs, four principles for developing pet feed for cats and dogs can be drawn up:

• Staple food nutrition should be comprehensive;
• The variety of various types of feed should be varied;
• Treat differently, and prepare different types of feed according to the nutritional needs and dietary characteristics of different breeds, different ages, and different physiological stages. Domestic cats can mainly eat plant food, while foreign cats should mainly eat animal food. During the development period, During pregnancy and lactation, protein, vitamins, minerals, etc. should be increased;
• Hygienic, non-toxic, and good palatability.

(2) Develop raw materials:

Cats and dogs are omnivorous animals that mainly eat meat. Their staple food is meat, fish and their by-products. Slaughter leftovers such as blood clots, offal, and bone meal are all good staple food raw materials. Milk, eggs, grains, potatoes, vegetables, etc. are good auxiliary raw materials for cat and dog food. In particular, the by-products of various raw materials are also good feed ingredients, which provides cheap and abundant raw materials for the production of pet feed.

(3) Pet feed variety development:

If you want to build a pet feed mill, the following products are recommended for you to develop.

Utilizing the technology of developing human food and learning from foreign successful experiences in developing pet feed, we can consider developing main feed (cat food, dog food), auxiliary feed, health feed, etc. The colors and varieties of each type of feed should be varied.

The main feed requires comprehensive nutrition, richness, good palatability, easy digestion and utilization, easy preservation, and easy portability. Cat food is mostly made into granular, bread-like, and biscuit-like dry food. Dog food is mostly made into dry, semi-moist and wet types. The main ingredients of powdery, biscuit, granular and puffed dry foods are starch, meat meal, fish meal, germ, etc.

• Semi-moist dog food is mostly meat, dairy products, soybeans, oils, minerals, etc. It is very suitable for newly weaned puppies and can be made into pastries, pies, sausages and other shapes.
• Wet dog feed is characterized by very good palatability and is generally made into cans. The leftovers from meat factories are often processed into canned dog food.
• Supplementary feeds are feeds with relatively single nutrients and bright colors. Its main function is to regulate appetite, and some are used by animals to grind their teeth or lick plates.
• Health care feed is a type of feed that adds specific nutrients to meet the special nutritional needs of animals and promote body functions. Such as taurine-fortified feed, calcium-fortified feed, dietary fiber, linoleic acid-fortified feed, etc.

(4) Examples of staple food recipes for cats and dogs:

Below, we show you several pet feed formulas, which have been used in some pet feed mill products on sale.

• (Example 1) Cat feed formula (in kilograms): 300 grams of rice, 300 grams of cornmeal, 390 grams of meat, 10 grams of salt.
• (Example 2) Cat food formula (in kilograms): 100 grams of casein, 200 grams of milk powder, 350 grams of beef liver, 300 grams of oats, 50 grams of edible oil.
• (Example 3) Dog food formula (in kilograms): 250 grams of meat, 150 grams of rice, 150 grams of noodles, 300 grams of vegetables, 70 grams of milk, 10 grams of lard, 10 grams of cod liver oil, 6 grams of yeast, 30 grams of carrots, 14 grams of bone meal and 10 grams of salt.
• (Example 4) Cat food ingredients: cereal grains and their by-products, fish and meat and their by-products, sugar, vegetable oil, iron oxide red, vitamins, antioxidants. Finished product standards: protein ≥ 22.0%, fat ≥ 5.0%, cellulose ≤ 5.0%, salt ≤ 2.0%.
• (Example 5) Ingredients of dry puppy food: corn by-products, meat and its by-products, vegetable oil, iodized salt, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B, riboflavin, antioxidants. Finished product standards: natural protein ≥ 28%, natural fat ≥ 10%, calcium ≥ 0.6%, minerals ≥ 1.5%, cellulose ≤ 5.0%, salt ≤ 1.3%.
• (Example 6) The characteristics of cat food are: 100% comprehensive and balanced nutrition, special taurine formula, ensuring an appropriate amount of vitamin A, ensuring an appropriate amount of calcium, adding linoleic acid, adding fiber, and comprehensive and balanced various proteins.

If you want to process cat and dog food, please contact us to get a full set of customized solutions and equipment quotations for cat and dog pet feed factory processes!

Cage birds kept at home are mostly omnivorous and herbivorous birds. Their main feed is mostly plant food. Birds digest quickly and are very sensitive to hunger, but they eat less food per meal, and their feed is mostly made of pellets or powder.

• Daily feed for cage birds can be divided into main feed, auxiliary feed, health feed, special feed, mineral feed and insect feed.
• The main feed is starchy food, and the raw materials that can be used include rice, millet, millet, corn, and sorghum.
• Supplementary feeds are generally fat-containing feeds, such as perilla seeds, hemp seeds, rapeseeds, pine seeds, and sunflower seeds, which are suitable for consumption before moulting and nesting.
• The raw materials of health-care feed are mainly green vegetables and wild vegetables. The powdered feed can increase appetite, increase vitality, and is beneficial to health and reproduction. Birds should eat health feed every day.
• Special feeds include estrus feed, aphrodisiac feed, and pigment feed. During the estrus period in spring, birds need more protein, especially animal nutrients. The feed prepared for this is estrus feed, using eggs and millet as the main raw materials. The main purpose of aphrodisiac feed is to increase the proportion of egg yolk in bird food. Pigment feed is mainly aimed at birds during the moulting season. Feed them with food containing carrots and peanut oil to make their feathers red and bright. Mineral feed is mainly formulated from shell powder, feather meal, eggshell powder, cuttlefish meal, salt and gravel. Insect feed is indispensable for cage birds. Without feeding live insects to the birds, it will be difficult to raise the birds well.

Therefore, bird-eating insects can be specially cultivated and sold live, or they can be freeze-dried to maintain their original shape or sold into powder. Commonly used insect raw materials include skinworms, mealworms, locusts, silkworm pupae, etc. If you want to start bird feed processing, contact us to get a professional bird feed production line solution and a complete set of caged bird pet feed mill factory equipment quotations!

Ornamental fish, like several other pets, require six balanced and comprehensive nutrients. The difference is that fish live in water, like to eat bait, and their food intake is small. Their food is relatively simple, and only the main feed can meet their needs. Bait can be divided into natural bait and synthetic bait.

• The development of ornamental fish pet feed can, on the one hand, breed animals and plants that fish like to eat and sell them directly; on the other hand, it can be artificially synthesized and produced into micro-granular products.
• Natural feed is nutritious, easy to digest, and is especially helpful in promoting the development of gonads. Commonly used natural baits include animal baits such as water fleas, water earthworms, and paramecium, as well as plant-based baits such as fresh vegetables and duckweed.
• Artificial synthesis is the main method. Micro-granular fish pet food is convenient, hygienic and easy to preserve.

Here is an example of a recipe: 30% silkworm chrysalis powder (skimmed), 10% fish meal, 60% barley flour or bread flour, a little baking powder, a small amount of salt and multivitamins.

Other pets such as beetles, frogs, rabbits, etc., as well as piglets that are becoming new favorites, have similar feed development ideas and methods to the above.

If you want to process pet feed pellets, no matter what kind of pet food it is, welcome to contact us to get professional family support and build your pet feed mill plant!