Animal Feed 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up a Feed Mill

Setting up a feed mill, how much to give, and how often can be intimidating. Luckily, there are several types of animal feed that make it easy to give your animals what they need in order to thrive and produce the best meat possible.

What does a feed mill do?

A feed mill grinds, mixes, and packages various ingredients—such as grains, soybean meal, vitamins, and minerals—to create custom animal feeds. There are many types of feed mills; some focus on poultry feeds while others specialize in cattle or goat feeds. When it comes to setting up your own mill you should be aware that they must adhere to strict sanitation standards in order to prevent disease outbreaks.

Your state may also require you to obtain a license before starting operations. To set up a feed mill you will need to purchase equipment such as grinder mixers, augers, conveyors, bins, etc. You will also need facilities for storage and shipping of finished products. This can include purchasing trucks for delivery or renting space at an existing facility such as a grain elevator or warehouse. The cost of equipment can vary widely depending on how much money you want to invest in high-quality machinery versus buying cheaper used equipment. The more expensive equipment will generally last longer but could cost more upfront.

Why should I set up my own feed mill?

By setting up your own feed mill, you have complete control over what goes into your product. You can make sure it’s safe for your animals and that it’s organic if that’s important to you. The most common types of feed mills are cattle feed mills, broiler chicken feed mills, and turkey/poultry breeder/layer farms. Each has its own specific production facilities as well as its own markets and customers.

They also require different levels of expertise in order to be run efficiently; before making a final decision on which kind of farm will work best for you, do some serious research on each type of business so that you can find one with products whose sales prices are high enough to pay back loans while still giving you an acceptable profit margin after expenses.

How much will it cost me?

Feed mills typically have higher startup costs than other types of small-scale farming operations. This is primarily due to equipment and infrastructure costs, but also because farmers are likely to purchase custom feed blends that include additives like minerals and vitamins. For example, it will probably cost you between ₦750,000 and ₦5,000,000 just for basic milling equipment. If you want more complex machinery (like machinery that cuts feed into customized shapes), your investment could be as high as ₦25 M. If you’re planning on using your farm primarily for dairy or meat production (in which case you’ll need custom feed blends tailored to those specific kinds of animals), consider how much extra it will cost you in ingredients before deciding if starting a feed mill is right for you.

Do I need help?

If you have basic farming experience and can handle a hammer, it’s probably not too difficult to put together your own feed mill. If you do decide to hire someone, be sure they understand everything about your animals’ needs. It’s critical that your layer feed has enough calcium, for example, and that your turkey feed has enough protein. Start by creating lists of all of your animals’ needs and supply needs such as wood for pens or water pumps. Then work with an expert who will make sure you’ve covered every detail so you can focus on other aspects of running your farm.

Where can I get more information?

If you want to start researching feed for animals, some good places to look are broiler feed and pet food. Broiler feed is used by farmers who grow chickens (including broilers) for meat, while pet food is made specifically for dogs and cats. You might also want to learn more about specific nutrients—for example, you can research protein levels in poultry feed online or through books at your local library. There are countless resources out there; feel free to experiment with what works best for you!

Conclusion

Consider attending conferences hosted by companies that produce animal feed. This will give you an opportunity to meet experts face-to-face and ask questions. Once you know enough about animal nutrition, setting up a basic mill should be fairly straightforward. However, if you run into any problems along the way, don’t hesitate to consult an expert—after all, these folks have been doing it for years!
How do I get started?: Start off small with one type of animal and one type of feed so that it’s easier to manage from day one. For example, if your farm raises cows but not chickens then focus on cow feed first and then branch out later on as needed.