Various Types of Animal Feed

Moisture in feather meal, bone meal and other animal feed products plays a crucial role in quality. With varying moisture content in raw materials, on-line NIR measurement is a key tool in ensuring optimum efficiency and quality control. The ability to measure moisture and make instant process adjustments during the production cycle is key.

Chicken Meal

Chicken meal, according to AAFCO, is the dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with and without accompanying bone, derived from whole carcasses of chicken thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails. It is mainly used in pet foods. Chicken meal essentially is taking a roaster and grinding it up, mixing everything together including muscle, skin and bones.

The water content averages around 70%, along with 18% protein and 5% fat. Now take this ground chicken and carefully dry it to a moisture level of 10%. The protein content is now 65% and the fat level is 12%. This product is chicken meal.

Feather Meal

Feather meal is the most important poultry by-product at a rendering plant. The by-products are mostly animal feed, which is produced by rendering (cooking) the waste materials. Feather waste from the poultry processing industry can potentially be used as a protein source in animal feeding operations. Feathers are rich in protein content called keratin and constitute 7-9% weight of the live bird.

They producing a considerable mass which can be converted to valuable meal.  To make FM digestible it must first be converted through a hydrolysis process. Hydrolyzation is completed by cooking the feathers with steam. Hydrolyzed feather contents 40% to 65% moisture. This moisture must be reduced to 8% for improving shelf life as an animal feed.

Blood Meal

Blood meal is hydroscopic and needs to be dried to less than 10-12% moisture and stored in a dry place in order for it not to deteriorate. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen available. It is a great food supplement for cattle, fish and poultry, and due to its high-lysine content, it is widely used.

Many countries mix it with molasses before using as an animal feed. Blood meal is produced from clean, fresh animal blood, exclusive of all extraneous material such as hair, stomach belching, and urine; except as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing processes. A large portion of the moisture (water) is removed mechanically by a dewatering process and is then transferred to a rapid drying facility.

Bone & Meat Meal

Functioning as a plant fertilizer and food for animals, bone and meat meal is made from sterilized animal bones and meat. It is used as feed because of its relatively high levels of calcium and phosphorus. Because of the presence of phosphate and nitrogen, its use as a plant fertilizer is common.

Since it is not soluble, meat and bone meal moisture control is still extremely important in the preparation process due to over-drying. Other factors are important in this process as well; the finer the product is ground, the faster the nutrients can spread. Bone and meat meal can be distributed in many varieties in addition to their traditional form, including liquid and powder.

Fish Meal

Fish meal is a high-protein food for livestock that is prepared from all parts of a fish, including the bones. During the rendering, the fish oil and water are removed, leaving what is known as “fish meal”. Typically, fish meal is given to domestic animals (e.g. cats and dogs), as well as to cattle and poultry. It is popular because of its high nutritional value. It has high levels of essential amino acids, contains many vitamins, and is a good source of calcium.

While most fish species can be turned into fish meal, not all can be harvested year-round. This results in a seasonal disparity in protein content, as well as a variation in the price of fish meal. Prices are normally higher in the winter months when supplies are depleted, and lower in the summertime when the species are replenished.

While the creation of fish meal may seem like a simple enough procedure, fish meal moisture levels throughout the rendering process must be precise to ensure quality. Under-drying will force molds and bacteria to grow, while exposure to high temperatures and over-drying will create a loss of nutrients. Both extremes are devastating to the finished product and can cause problems for the animals ingesting the food. That not only wastes the efforts of the manufacturer but can also cause a public relations nightmare if the animals become ill.

Soybean Meal

Soy meal is an essential animal feed that is created once soy has been processed and oil has been removed. It is known for its high fiber qualities, making it a reputable type of feed for poultry, swine, and cattle. 98% of the U.S. soybean crop is used for livestock feed, with the oil that is removed used primarily as fuel in diesel engines. At the time of harvest, it is important that soybeans have a moisture content ranging from 12% to 15%. To ensure this, a moisture meter system should be used in order to capture the optimal moisture level. If the beans contain too much moisture, the product should be dried to reduce the risk of mold. This is key in order to utilize the crop for its most economical purpose

Top of the Line Solutions

Tight process control is essential for profitable feed production due to several characteristics of the feed industry.

• • The feed must adhere to the specified nutritional requirements outlined in the formula or recipe. Regular analysis of both in-process samples and the final product guarantees that the feed meets these nutritional specifications.
  • Secondly, animal feed production operates on narrow profit margins and demands high production efficiency to remain profitable. Least cost formulation enables producers to capitalize on locally available or seasonal ingredients with high value. However, the variation between loads of each ingredient poses a challenge in fully realizing their potential without conducting nutritional analyses on the raw ingredients.

Quality is not the only factor in animal feed that is essential for moisture – product spoilage, excess shipping weight, dryer energy usage, and excess water diluting the products. MoistTech’s NIR analyzer provides a non-contact measurement reading on dry kibble, semi-moist kibble, and wet or canned pet food.