Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / R. Scott Beyer / The modern poultry industry uses auger feed lines to transport feed for broilers to pans to make feed available for them while greatly reducing labor costs. The feed given to broilers is manufactured at significant cost into a pelleted form. Pellets reduce broiler production costs by increasing feed intake and growth rate while reducing feed. Pellet quality is expressed using a method called the Pellet Durability Index (PDI). A series of studies was conducted to determine the effects of these destructive forces on both pellet quality and nutritive value. In Experiment 1, it was found that pellets of 78 and 86 PDI had 30% more fines in the final pan compared to the initial pan, but there was no significant difference between the two diets. In Experiment 2, a significant difference existed between a 23 PDI diet and an 82 PDI diet in the percentage of fines found at 12 selected pans. This indicates destruction occurring along the length of the feed line. In Experiment 3, soybean oil was applied to the exterior of the pellets and they were transported through the feed line. A significant difference in the amount of fat at each collection site was found, as the fat was removed from the exterior of the pellets in earlier pans, indicating destructive forces having an effect on the pellets. In Experiment 4, whole sorghum was used to create four diets with similar PDI. The feed was then placed in the feed line, collected at twelve locations, and analyzed for crude fat, CP, DM, ash and Ca. The results indicated the presence of whole sorghum in the pellets had no effect on percent fines or nutrient values. In Experiment 5, three diets with different PDI were transported through the feed line. Five collection sites were selected. Results indicate that high quality pellets withstand handling while pellets below 68 PDI show increased fine percentage. These experiments indicate pellets are damaged during transport in the feed line, but nutrients remain the same unless they are on the exterior of the pellet.

Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Leland McKinney / Three experiments were conducted to evaluate value added uses for dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and crude glycerol in swine and poultry diets. In Exp.1, crude glycerol from multiple biodiesel production facilities was evaluated for storage and variability characteristics. Part one reviewed the storage capabilities of crude glycerol at room temperature and excessive heat conditions on ferrous and stainless steel metal. There was no notable corrosion during the two-month experiment for either metal type under each condition. There was a slight discoloration observed on the ferrous metal stored under excessive heat conditions, but no pitting or sign of corrosion was noted. No changes were observed in the stainless steel under either environment condition. Part two evaluated the variability of crude glycerol from multiple biodiesel production facilities. Representative samples of the parent feedstock and resultant glycerol was collected an analyzed. There was considerable variation between samples, particularly when comparing glycerol from the different feedstocks (vegetable vs. animal). Exp. 2 and 3 took place in the Feed Processing Research Center in the Department of Grain Science at Kansas State University. Pellet quality and electrical energy consumption was evaluated by reviewing production rate, conditioning and hot pellet temperatures, motor load, and pellet durability index (PDI) as testing parameters. In Exp. 2, diets containing varying levels of crude glycerol were evaluated on pellet quality and pellet mill performance in a pilot mill and in a commercial facility. For part one, a corn-soy based swine grower diet was formulated to contain 0, 3, 6, and 9% crude glycerol. Each diet was steam conditioned to 150, 170 and 190 °F in an atmospheric conditioner and pelleted. An interaction existed between glycerol and conditioning temperature. For all diets containing glycerol, roll skid occurred and the pellet mill plugged as conditioning temperature approached 190°F. Pellet quality increased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing levels of glycerol. Part two took place at Don’s Farm Supply in Newell, IA. A corn-soy based turkey grower diet was formulated to contain 3% glycerol and pelleted. Results from part two were consistent with part one, in that there was an interaction between conditioning temperature and the addition of glycerol. Exp. 3 evaluated DDGS on pellet quality and electrical consumption. A poultry diet was formulated to contain 0, 15, or 30% DDGS and steam conditioned to 140, 160, and 180°F. As conditioning temperature increased, pellet quality in diets containing DDGS significantly improved (P>.001). Electrical consumption in diets containing DDGS compared to the control showed no significance in reduction in energy usage (P>.001). In conclusion, the production of pelleted diets containing crude glycerol is a feasible option; however, conditioning temperatures should be kept minimal and storage and variation of the material should be considered. In addition, improved pellet quality in pelleted diets containing DDGS is in part by conditioning at higher temperatures, respectively. The data suggests that the addition of crude glycerol and DDGS in animal diets can serve as a beneficial feed additive.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Keith C. Behnke / A series of experiments was conducted to compare methods used to evaluate the durability of animal feed pellets, as well as to investigate the potential for modeling the effects of formulation and processing factors on both pellet durability index (PDI) and pelleting energy consumption, measured in kilowatt hours per ton (kWh/ton). Seven different factors, including ground corn particle size, added fat level, inclusion of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), feed rate, steam conditioning temperature, conditioner retention time, and pellet die thickness (L:D ratio) were examined. Each factor was evaluated at two levels, and treatments were developed in order that all factor to factor comparisons could be made. Pellet samples were analyzed according to the standard method as described in ASAE S269.4, a modification of this method, and by using the NHP100 pellet tester set to each of its four testing intervals (30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds). The standard method was found to provide the most consistent and repeatable determinations of pellet durability, and was found to correlate well with the modified method, as well as with the NHP100 results at 30 and 60 seconds. Physical attributes of feed pellets, such as pellet hardness, bulk density, and moisture content were found to have significant, but weak correlations with pellet quality. Pellet quality was found to be significantly influenced by all factors other than ground corn particle size and feed rate. Higher fat level, lower conditioning temperature, and the thinner pellet die most significantly lowered pellet quality, with increasing effect respectively. A regression model was developed that was able to predict pellet durability within an average of 1.1 PDI. Pelleting energy consumption was found to be significantly influenced by all seven factors, with the higher fat level, thinner pellet die, and higher conditioning temperature most improving efficiency, with increasing effect respectively. A regression model was developed that was able to predict energy consumption within an average of 0.3 kWh/ton. The successful creation of regression equations demonstrates that there is potential for modeling and optimizing pellet quality and energy consumption within a pelleting operation.

Approaches for the evaluation of plant protein ingredients for salmonid feeds were investigated in a series of four trials. The first trial compared the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AAs) of two novel products - Indian mustard protein concentrate (IMC, 62% CP) and Indian mustard protein meal (IMM, 42% CP), to a commercially available soy protein concentrate (SPC, 57% CP) for two salmonid species, rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon. The second trial involved assessment of relative bioavailability of arginine (Arg) from IMC, IMM and SPC compared to that of a crystalline Arg (L-Arg) in rainbow trout using slope-ratio assay. In the third trial, the effects of phytic acid (PA) and lignin on nutrient utilization and partitioning in rainbow trout were assessed. Finally, a series of experiments was conducted in the final trial to establish the evaluation criteria for pellet quality assessment. The ADC of CP and most AAs in IMC and IMM were high (>90%). Differences in the ADCs of some AAs can be attributed to the high PA intake by fish fed 30%-IMC diet. The significantly higher (P<0.05) bioavailability of Arg from IMC (123 to 187%) and IMM (116 to 211%) relative to that of L-Arg, as determined by various regression approaches, reaffirmed the findings of the first trial that these ingredients are of excellent protein quality and can readily be used in compounded fish feeds. It can be inferred from the lack of effects of PA, lignin or PA plus lignin on most indices of physiology, performance, and nutrient utilization in the pair-fed fish, that like any other animal, controls feed intake when in the presence of one or more dietary ANF. It was also shown in the pellet quality assessment trial that minor changes in dietary composition can significantly alter physical properties of aquaculture feed. This study highlighted the importance of a comprehensive assessment for the effective evaluation of the nutritive value of plant protein ingredients for use in aquaculture feeds. / Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; BIOEXX Specialty Proteins Ltd.; Martin Mills Inc.; MITACS

Commercial broilers are fed exclusively pelleted diets; this is due to research that has demonstrated numerous benefits to feeding pellets. The first objective was to investigate the effects of modest improvements in pellet quality on two modern broiler strains. Regardless of strain, feeding 80% pellets improved broiler performance from d 28 to 42. The second objective was to investigate the effects of feed form and liquid application method on feed augering segregation and subsequent broiler performance. In general, percent pellets steadily decreased across location throughout feed augering. Also, phytase segregation occurred throughout augering and was exacerbated in post-pellet liquid application diets. When the augered diets were fed to broilers, 75% pellets and post-pellet liquid application diets improved performance. The final objective was to investigate the change in percent pellets as feed was augered throughout an entire commercial poultry house. Ultimately, creating high-quality pellets decreases pellet attrition and improves broiler performance.

<p>U savremenom uzgoju živine i svinja sme&scaron;e se retko koriste u pra&scaron;kastom obliku<br />već se uglavnom peletiraju nakon ume&scaron;avanja pojedinačnih sastojaka. Pri<br />peletiranju dolazi do naru&scaron;avanja granulacije sme&scaron;e, odnosno do gotovo<br />potpunog eliminisanja krupnih čestica, kao i do nastajanja velike količine najsitnijih čestica. U okviru istraživanja u ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji ispitivan je uticaj promene odabranih parametara mlevenja i peletiranja na granulaciju čestica od kojih su pelete sačinjene. Cilj je bio da se utvrdi kombinacija parametara koja doprinosi povećanju sadržaja krupnih čestica, &scaron;to je značajno u ishrani živine, odnosno da se utvrdi kombinacija parametara koja će u &scaron;to većoj meri uvećati sadržaj čestica srednje veličine i umanjiti udeo najsitnijih čestica, &scaron;to je značajno u ishrani svinja. Pri tome je određivan i kvalitet peleta, koji ne sme biti značajnije naru&scaron;en, kao i potro&scaron;nja energije pelet prese za koju je poželjno da je &scaron;to niža.<br />Nezavisni parametri peletiranja bili su granulacija kukuruznog mliva, rastojanje (zazor) između valjaka i matrice pelet prese, debljina matrice pelet prese i sadržaj vode materijala koji se vodi na peletiranje. Istraživanje je podeljeno u dve faze, gde je u prvoj za usitnjavanje primenjen mlin čekićar, a u drugoj mlin sa valjcima. Na oba uređaja prizvedene su po tri granulacije mliva, pri čemu se granulacija ukrupnjava od najsitnijeg mliva dobijenog na mlinu čekićaru do najkrupnijeg mliva dobijenog na mlinu sa valjcima. U prvoj fazi tri granulacije mliva dobijene na mlinu čekićaru su peletirane u kombinaciji sa tri zazora valjci-matrica (0,30; 1,15 i 2,00 mm) i tri sadržaja vode materijala (14,5%, 16,0% i 17,5%), a u drugoj fazi tri granulacije mliva dobijene na mlinu sa valjcima peletirane su u kombinaciji sa tri debljine matrice (24, 30 i 36 mm) i tri sadržaja vode materijala (14,5%, 16,0% i 17,5%). Dakle, u obe faze su varirana tri parametra na tri nivoa pri čemu je primenjen Box-Behnken eksperimentalni dizajn. Zavisno promenljive karakteristike (odzivi) bili su temperatura matrice pelet prese, specifična potro&scaron;nja energije pelet prese, udeo pra&scaron;ine u peletama, stepen želatinizacije skroba, tvrdoća, stepen otiranja i nasipna masa peleta, kao i granulacija materijala nakon peletiranja. Za svaki od pomenutih odziva definisan je polinom (model) drugog reda. Dobijeni modeli upotrebljeni su za optimizaciju procesa peletiranja sa ciljem da se postigne željena granulacija peletiranog materijala, uz &scaron;to bolji kvalitet peleta i uz &scaron;to manju potro&scaron;nju energije.<br />U istraživanju je utvrđeno da mliva sa približno istom vredno&scaron;ću geometrijskog srednjeg prečnika, dobijena na mlinu čekićaru i mlinu sa valjcima, imaju značajno različitu raspodelu veličine čestica. Na mlinu čekićaru dobija se &scaron;ira raspodela, sa većim sadržajem najkrupnijih i najsitnijih čestica, u poređenju sa mlinom<br />sa valjcima. Za proizvodnju mliva približno istog geometrijskog srednjeg prečnika, a pogotovo mliva sa relativno sličnom raspodelom veličine čestica,<br />potro&scaron;nja energije kod mlina sa valjcima značajno je manja u poređenju sa mlinom<br />čekićarom. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Potvrđeno je da peletiranje uzrokuje veliki intenzitet usitnjavanja čestica bez obzira na primenjene parametre. Međutim, određene kombinacije parametara mogu doprineti značajnijem očuvanju krupnih čestica. Parametar peletiranja koji najvi&scaron;e doprinosi<br />povećanju udela krupnih čestica u peletama je granulacija mliva koje se upućuje na<br />peletiranje. &Scaron;to je krupnija granulacija, udeo krupnih čestica u peletama će biti veći.<br />Rezultati optimizacije procesa peletiranja u prvoj fazi ukazuju da je u pogledu proizvodnje peletirane hrane za živinu, kada je poželjno očuvanje određene količine krupnih čestica, potrebno primeniti krupno mlevenje na mlinu čekićaru, uz<br />pode&scaron;avanje zazora između valjaka i matrice od 2 mm i uz sadržaj vode materijala od 17,5%. U drugoj fazi optimizacijom je utvrđeno da je potrebno koristiti debljinu matrice od 30 mm, najkrupniju granulaciju mliva na mlinu sa valjcima i vlagu od 17,5%. Pri proizvodnji peletirane hrane za živnu povoljnije je koristiti mlin čekićar, s obzirom da je utvrđeno da su čestice mliva dobijenog na čekićaru otpornije na usitnjavanje tokom peletiranja od čestica dobijenih na mlinu sa valjcima &scaron;to omogućuje očuvanje većeg broja krupnih čestica tokom peletiranja. Povećanje &scaron;irine zazora valjci-matrica nije poželjno prilikom peletiranja hrane za svinje jer se povećava intenzitet usitnjavanja čestica, a time i udeo najsitnije frakcije čestica. Sličano je i sa povećanjem debljine matrice. U prvoj fazi istraživanja, rezultati optimizacije pokazuju da je u cilju povećanja udela frakcija čestica srednje veličine (630 &ndash; 1600 &mu;m), kao i smanjenja sadržaja najsitnijih čestica (&lt; 125 &mu;m), potrebno primeniti najsitnije mlevenje na mlinu čekićaru, najveći sadržaj vode materijala (17,5%), dok zazor između valjaka i matrice treba podestiti da bude ne&scaron;to veći od 0,30 mm. I u drugoj fazi istraživanja optimizacija je ukazala da je najveći udeo čestica srednje veličine (630 &ndash;<br />1600 &mu;m), kao i najmanji udeo čestica &lt; 125 &mu;m, ostvaren pri peletiranju najsitnijeg<br />mliva dobijenog na mlinu sa valjcima. Pri tome sadržaj vode je potrebno podesiti na<br />17,5%, dok debljina matrice treba biti oko 28 mm.<br />Pri predloženim optimalnim parametrima peletiranja ostvaren je zadovoljavajući<br />kvalitet peleta, a potro&scaron;nja energije pelet prese bila je na prihvatljivom nivou.</p> / <p>In modern poultry and swine breeding, animal feed is rarely used in powder form but mainly pelleted after mixing of different ingredients. During pelleting process, granulation of the feed is compromised, i.e. coarse particles are<br />almost completely destroyed and the content of fine particles is strongly<br />increased. This doctoral thesis investigated the impact of changes in selected grinding and pelleting parameters on granulation of particles after pelleting. The goal was to achieve the quantity of coarse particles in pellets to be as high as possible, which is important in poultry nutrition. Another goal was to determine the combination of parameters that will increase, as much as possible, the content of particles medium in size and reduce the share of the smallest particles, which is important in swine nutrition. At the same time quality of the pellets must not be significantly degraded and energy consumption of pellet press should be as low as possible.<br />Independent pelleting parameters were corn granulation after grinding, the distance (gap) between the rollers and the die of pellet presses (roller-die gap), the thickness<br />of the pellet press die (die thickness) and the water content of pelleted material. The study was divided in two stages. In the first stage the corn was ground using a hammer mill and in the second stage, roller mill was used. Three different granulations were produced on both mills. Coarseness of the ground material increased from the finest material produced using the hammer mill to the coarsest material obtained at the roller mill. In the first stage, three different granulations produced at the hammer mill were pelleted in combination with three different roller-die gaps (0.30, 1.15 and 2.00 mm) and three different water contents of material (14.5%, 16.0% and 17.5%). In the second stage three different granulations produced at the roller mill were pelleted in combination with three different die thicknesses (24, 30 and 36 mm) and three different water content of material (14.5%, 16.0% and 17.5%). Thus, three parameters were varied at three levels in both stages and experiments were designed according to Box-Behnken design. Depended variables (responses) were: temperature of the pellet press die, specific energy consumption of pellet press, dust content in pellets, degree of starch gelatinization,&nbsp; particle size of the material after pelleting. For each of the responses, a second order polynomial model was defined and used for optimization of the pelleting process. It was determined that particle size distribution of material with similar geometric mean diameter, obtained with hammer mill and roller mill, is significantly different from each other. Hammer mill produced higher quantity of the coarsest and the finest particles comparing to roller mill. Energy consumption of roller mill for grinding to similar particle size distribution or similar geometric mean diameter is lower compared to hammer mill. Even though it was determined that secondary grinding of particles during pelleting is inevitable, certain combinations of pelleting parameters may contribute to significant preservation of large particles and to reduction of quantity of small particles. Results of optimization in the first stage indicated that for the production of pelleted poultry feed, when certain amount of coarse particles should be preserved, it is necessary to apply coarse grinding on hammer mill, with the roller-die gap of 2 mm and with material water content of 17.5%. In the second stage it was determined that it is necessary to use die with thickness of 30 mm, coarsest granulation at the roller mill and material water content of 17.5%. In the production of pelleted poultry feed it is better to use a hammer mill since it was found that the particles obtained on hammer mill are more resistant to secondary grinding than the particles obtained with the roller mill. Roller-die gap increase is not desirable during pelleting of swine feed because it increases secondary grinding, and thus the proportion of the smallest particles. Similar effect has an increase of the die thickness. In the first stage of the study, the results of the optimization showed that the largest quantity of medium-sized particles (630 &ndash; 1600 &mu;m), and the lowest quantity of the smallest particles (&lt; 125 &mu;m), were achieved with the finest grinding on the hammer mill. At the same time water content of 17.5% should be applied, while the roller-die gap should be close to 0.30 mm. In the second stage of the study, the largest quantity of medium-sized particles, and the lowest quantity of the smallest<br />particles, was achieved with the finest grinding on the roller mill. According to the optimization results, the water content should be set to 17.5%, while die thickness should approx. 28 mm. With the proposed optimal parameters, satisfactory pellet quality was achieved, and energy consumption of the pellet<br />presses was at an acceptable level.</p>