Producing your own feed on the farm has become, for many farmers, a truly strategic choice. Feed autonomy, cost control, raw material traceability: the arguments are well known.
However, producing consistently high-quality feed cannot be improvised. Between variability in raw materials, equipment settings and hygiene throughout the manufacturing chain, there are many potential sources of deviation.
Poorly controlled feed can quickly affect zootechnical performance, animal health and, ultimately, the profitability of the operation.
Ensuring the quality of feed produced on the farm is therefore not an option: it is a condition for success.
In 16 points, we guide you:
1. Feed quality starts with the quality of the raw materials
The first step in ensuring the quality of feed manufactured on the farm is to pay close attention to the raw materials used. Cereals, protein crops, co-products: each ingredient must be selected, stored and used with rigour.
2. Healthy, well-preserved cereals
Wheat, maize, barley or triticale often form the basis of the feed. Their quality depends as much on harvesting as on storage.
Excess moisture, heating or the presence of mould can severely degrade nutritional value, sometimes without any immediately visible sign.
Poorly stored grain may contain mycotoxins, with direct consequences for intake, reproduction or the animals’ immunity. Feed quality on the farm therefore starts in the silo.
3. Co-products: interesting, but must be monitored
Co-products are often included to improve nutritional balance or, more often, to reduce feed costs. However, their use requires increased vigilance:
- significant variability in nutritional values,
- sensitivity to moisture,
- sometimes limited shelf life.
To secure feed manufacturing, it is essential to know these products well and incorporate them methodically.
4. Analyse your raw materials to secure the
formulation
Producing consistently high-quality feed requires a good understanding of its actual composition.
5. Why analyse your cereals?
Two batches of cereals from the same field can show significant differences in protein or energy.
Having your raw materials analysed makes it possible to adjust formulations precisely and avoid approximations.
This approach is particularly important when the feed is intended for demanding animals, such as laying hens or animals in the starter phase.
6. Adapt the feed to the animals’ needs
Ensuring the quality of feed manufactured on the farm also means adapting the ration:
- to the species,
- to the physiological stage,
- to production objectives.
A feed that is too rich or poorly balanced is rarely synonymous with better performance. On the contrary, it can generate costly imbalances.
7. Grinding: a lever that is often underestimated
Grinding directly influences digestibility and feed intake. Selecting the right screens on your grinder according to your animals ensures good efficiency.
8. Appropriate, consistent particle size
Grinding too finely increases the risk of digestive disorders and dust.
Grinding too coarsely can reduce feed efficiency and lead to sorting.
The objective is not to grind as finely as possible, but to obtain a uniform particle size, suited to the type of animals and the feeding method.
The same applies to rolled or flaked grains:
In the case of rolled or flaked grain, excessive crushing will also lead to poor intake; this is even more true for small ruminants such as calves or lambs.
Well-maintained equipment
Worn screens, blunt hammers or approximate settings lead to significant variations from one batch to another.
Regular maintenance of the grinder is essential to guarantee consistent feed quality on the farm. It is important to monitor this, inspect your knives and replace them if necessary.
For rolling or flaking, the rollers are treated but remain a wear part over time. They wear even faster when grains are small, dusty or dirty, so regular inspection is necessary and replacement is required if the surface is eroded.
9. Mix properly to ensure a homogeneous feed
Good mixing is the key to reliable feed. Each ration distributed must contain the same proportions of ingredients.
10. Follow the incorporation order
Minerals, vitamins and additives must be incorporated precisely, often after pre-mixing. This is all the more important because the quantities are often very small compared with the other components of the ration.
An incorrect order of introduction can lead to uneven distribution and occasional deficiencies.
11. Find the right grain mixing time
Mixing for too short a time is incomplete.
Excessive mixing can cause particle segregation or break flaked feed, removing all its digestibility benefits.
The quality of feed produced on the farm often depends on these simple but decisive settings.
12. Hygiene: a key factor in sanitary quality
Minerals, vitamins and additives must be incorporated precisely, often after pre-mixing. This is all the more important because the quantities are often very small compared with the other components of the ration.
An incorrect order of introduction can lead to uneven distribution and occasional deficiencies.
Clean the manufacturing line
Screws, mixers, hoppers and conveyors must be cleaned regularly.
Feed residues can ferment, become mouldy or contaminate subsequent batches.
Avoid cross-contamination
Changing formulas without sufficient purging can lead to ration errors.
On some farms, such cross-contamination can have significant technical and economic consequences.
Store finished feed properly to preserve its quality
Even well-formulated feed can deteriorate quickly if it is poorly stored.
Protect the feed from moisture
Moisture promotes mould growth and loss of palatability.
Silos and containers must be clean, watertight and suited to the volume produced.
Regular ventilation of silos helps prevent the presence of insects and mould.
CABI BGR – the gravity grinder
13. Adapt the production schedule
Producing too much feed in advance increases the risk of deterioration.
Conversely, producing in quantities that are too small makes consistency more difficult.
Feed quality on the farm also depends on coherent organisation.
There is no need to oversize your installation and therefore pay too much, especially as production time is relatively short.
14. Implement simple, effective traceability
Without going as far as complex systems, minimal traceability provides real security.
Record:
- the raw materials used,
- the production dates,
- the batches distributed,
to enable a rapid response in the event of a problem and to progressively improve practices
15. Observe the animals: the most reliable indicator
No tool can replace observing the herd.
Intake, refusals, uniformity, performance: animals react quickly to feed quality.
A change in intake or behaviour is often the first warning sign.
16. Ensuring feed quality on the farm: a
matter of method
Producing your own feed on the farm is a real lever for autonomy and performance, provided that every step is controlled.
Quality does not depend on a single factor, but on a coherent whole:
- controlled raw materials,
- appropriate formulation,
- well-adjusted and well-maintained equipment,
- rigorous hygiene,
- daily observation.
When it is structured, on-farm feed manufacturing becomes a reliable, high-performing and sustainable tool, far from being a simple stopgap solution.
