Farmers increasingly appreciate the practical and high-value alternative in the form of energy-dense pellets. Quality pellets are easy to use, low waste and highly digestible. 

A pellet’s quality is determined by its consistency of composition. Each mouthful contains the same nutritional mix with the same health promoting attributes and qualities as the next. It’s unlikely to fly away in the breeze and is effectively digested ensuring that the animal optimises every ingredient within the pellet. 

A certified provider, such as SealesWinslow with its FeedSafeNZ accreditation, ensures every aspect of the operation is geared towards achieving a high level of consistency. During the pelleting process, all raw materials, such as grains or protein meals, are ground, crushed or individually hammer-milled. This achieves an even consistency before they’re combined with minerals during a multi-stage mixing process. The result is a blended mix, which break downs readily within the rumen. 

The next critical production step includes molasses and steam that are forced into a conditioning unit. This high temperature process achieves a dual benefit. It sterilises the feed, reducing health risks arising from the likes of salmonella, listeria or E Coli. The cooking process causes the mix to gelatinise and form a paste which is forced out in pellet form and then cooled. 

The high temperatures and steam step is crucial from a nutritional point of view. It opens the cells and makes the starch and proteins easily accessible for rumen microbes, improving digestibility and utilisation of ingredients. The utilisation of crushed grains varies depending on the processing. Whole and crushed grains pass largely through the digestive tract and often appear in the dung. Overprocessing leads to quick release within the rumen as well as high levels of dust. In other words, when it comes to pellets there is no waste.

The mix consistency allows effective blending with additives such as Rumensin®. The accurate dosage and distribution of additives is safeguarded by an intensive and thorough 120 second mixing process. There is flexibility for pellets to be highly customised. This allows pellets to be formulated and produced to meet practically any nutritional profile.

Practical factors also play a big role in the selection of pellets, that’s why SealesWinslow’s pellets are designed with structural integrity in mind. It means they easily withstand transport without disintegrating and they also perform equally well in silos.

For more information on how pellets can enhance your farming outcomes, talk to your local PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative.

Supplied by SealesWinslow