1. Prevents selective feeding by animals. Compound feed formulas contain a variety of ingredients providing comprehensive nutrition; pelleting prevents animals from picking out their preferred ingredients while rejecting others found in mash feed. Because pelleted feed maintains uniformity during storage, transport, and feeding, feed wastage can be reduced by 8%–10%.
2. High feed efficiency. During the pelleting process, the combined effects of moisture, temperature, and pressure trigger physical and chemical reactions-such as starch gelatinization and enhanced enzyme activity-that allow animals to digest feed more effectively and convert it into body weight gain. Compared to mash feed, using pellets for poultry and pigs improves the feed conversion ratio (efficiency) by 10%–12%. For finishing pigs, pelleted feed increases average daily gain by 4% and reduces the feed-to-meat ratio by 6%; for broilers, the feed-to-meat ratio can be reduced by 3%–10%.
3. More economical storage and transport. Pelleting generally increases the bulk density of the feed by 40%–100%, thereby reducing storage space requirements and saving on transportation costs.
4. Good flowability and ease of management. Many mash feeds-particularly low-density, fluffy feeds or those containing molasses, high fat levels, or urea-often stick to the sides of storage bins. Pelleted feed flows well and rarely causes adhesion issues, making it the preferred choice for large-scale dairy or poultry farms that utilize automatic feeding systems.
5. Prevents ingredient segregation and reduces environmental pollution. During the storage and transport of mash feed, ingredients often separate (segregate) due to differences in particle size and density. Pelleting eliminates this segregation. Furthermore, pellets generate less dust, resulting in significantly less air and moisture contamination during the feeding process compared to mash feed.
6. Eliminates Salmonella in animal feed. Once ingested, Salmonella bacteria can persist in animal tissues; humans who consume meat from infected animals risk contracting Salmonella-related gastrointestinal illnesses. The method of high-temperature steam conditioning followed by pelleting can eliminate Salmonella present in animal feed.
