To increase milk yield or egg production of poultry, some farmers use additives. But this is optional. With the right approach to nutrition, you can simply create a completely balanced diet. Feed needs to be processed, and a grain crusher will play an indispensable role in this. Anything can be processed in a shredder:
- corn;
- legumes;
- fresh herbs and scraps;
- vegetables;
- roots.
There are different types of grain crushers, and therefore the choice primarily depends on what kind of farm you have.
For chickens and ducks, it is enough to buy a root cutter and a grain cutter. For cattle, straw and plant stems such as corn need to be chopped. Veterinarians and experienced livestock breeders also advise grinding grains and beans before they go into the feeder. Food is considered large enough for animals' stomachs and teeth to process without processing.
What it is
Grain crusher is a unit for grinding grains for feeding to livestock or poultry. The product will help save labor and time of the person doing the housework. In a crusher you can not only grind food, but also mix its components in the required proportions. This device is very convenient to use at home.
Purpose
A good grain crusher for the household grinds everything that you can’t throw into its mouth: wheat, barley, rye, peas. And corn - even on the cob.
It is better if the cobs lie for a day or two in the sun beforehand. And if there is no time for drying, you can throw freshly picked cobs for grinding. There is no need to do double work: first peel the grains from the cobs, and only then pour them into the mill.
If the bottom mesh is replaced with a fine one (up to three millimeters), then flour can be obtained from corn.
Modern models of grain crushers allow you to grind river shell rock and eggshells. Poultry eats all this with great pleasure. For chickens, shells ground into flour are more suitable.
Using a crusher, you can also grind the cake.
Device Features
Grain grinding units can have different designs. Home crushers are small in size and easy to operate.
Despite their small size, home grain crushers are characterized by fairly high productivity, which allows you to grind a large amount of grain raw materials in a short time.
Kinds
Classification of crushing units according to operating principle:
- Hammer crusher for grain - elements for grinding raw materials are attached to a rotor rotating in a receiving hopper.
- Rotary grain crushing units - the crusher chamber is made of high-grade steel, ensuring high-level design reliability. The crushing elements strike the walls of the receiving hopper, ensuring a continuous crushing process. The crushing elements continue to beat against the walls of the receiver until they turn the grain into crushed grain of the desired fraction.
- Disc grain crushers - crushing knives are fixed to the shaft using disks.
- Rollers not only crush, but also grind grain raw materials. The main elements are rollers with a corrugated surface or notches. Effective operation of a roller grain crusher is possible provided the grain material is moistened. Before feeding to the rollers, the grain should be moistened with water or treated with steam.
Grain crushers used in households can be divided according to the type of drive mechanism:
- Manually driven units are the simplest type of crusher, requiring manual labor and time.
- Pneumatic crusher - crushes grain into the smallest fractions, which can be used to feed growing young poultry. A household grain grinder is used to crush corn, wheat and other grains. The speed of work is high.
- An electric mill has the highest productivity and, at the same time, is quite simple to implement. It has a compact size and is used on farms and by individuals.
Types of feed choppers
Choppers are classified according to the type of feed they can process. The division is made into four main groups:
- grain crushers;
- root cutters;
- peelers;
- straw cutters.
This is just a rough division. Inside, each type is divided into many others. The differences between them are structural, including the type of drive and operating mechanism. The same grain crushers are divided into rotary and hammer crushers.
It is impossible to choose a universal model. It all depends on the quantitative composition of the livestock and the feed that is available.
How to choose
Having carefully familiarized yourself with the varieties of existing grain crushers, it will be easier to make the right choice for your household.
Crushing method
First of all, you should decide on the amount of crushed grain that you plan to pour into the working chamber. Small-sized hammer-type grain crushers are suitable for small farms.
Grind size
If your farm specializes in raising young animals, which, as you know, needs fine crushed grain, it is best to get a hammer-type crusher; it will provide the finest grinding of grain raw materials.
Performance
High-performance grain crushers are preferable for large farms, while medium-power grinding units are suitable for small holdings.
Dimensions
Small-sized hammer-type grain crushers are suitable for small farms; they can be assembled by yourself. Such homemade small crushing units will cost the owner much less.
Which grain crusher is better - hammer or rotary?
This question is asked by many beginning farmers. To answer this, you will need to carefully understand the design differences between both types of units.
The work of a rotary chopper is to move the cutting blade. It is designed to crush the mass that is fed into the receiving hopper. The hammer unit crushes raw materials using hammers that are attached to a solid base.
Products obtained using a hammer machine are considered to be of higher quality. This can be achieved due to the high amplitude of movement of the hammers, which can crush even the most distant grains of grain. At the same time, an impact crusher consumes much less electricity and has higher productivity.
To give a final answer to the question posed above, you should decide on the tasks of the crusher. If the farm has a large number of adult livestock and poultry, then it is best to purchase an impact crusher. However, if a farmer raises small poultry and a large number of young livestock for trade, then the optimal choice will be in favor of a hammer chopper.
Popular models
The modern market of domestic grain grinders provides a wide range of models to choose from.
Cyclone-350
Inexpensive crushing units with a capacity of 350 kg of crushed grain per hour. The model is in great demand among the population. A small disadvantage is the relatively low quality of the material from which the receiving hopper is made.
Piggy 350
Mini grain crusher. This model has gained high popularity due to the optimal price/quality ratio. In an hour of operation, this unit grinds 350 kg of grain.
Mega-Bison
The model has a large power reserve. When purchasing, you should take into account the fact that this crusher is quite large.
Ear
Reliable grain crushing machine with optimal power reserve. Indispensable in the household if you need to feed livestock and poultry.
Zubrenok-Mais
The model has high build quality and is easy to use.
ZUBR-3A
The crusher can withstand very heavy loads due to its high engine power and works well in the cold.
BISON -2A
This model has a high working life and optimal overall dimensions.
ZUBR-1A
The crusher can withstand very heavy loads and works well in the cold.
Niva IZ
This model allows you to grind not only grain, but also root crops and branches. The technical characteristics of the model are optimal for grinding all types of feed raw materials.
Other
Along with the above-mentioned grain crushing units, several more grain crushers for farms should be listed, for example, Farmer-2, Farmer-3, Farmer-4.
Grain crusher drive
Most modern models have electric motors. But sometimes there are also manual devices. But they have low productivity. If you have a very small farm, you can get by with manual choppers. These mainly include root cutters and grass cutters.
There are also crushers with a combined drive. That is, the model is sold without an engine, but the design provides places and parts for its connection. The motor can be positioned either front or rear. The revolutions are transmitted to the moving part directly or through belts.
DIY making
Stages:
- We weld six rods of wire with a diameter of 4 to 8 mm along the body of the inner side of the pipe, at the same distance from one another, vertically. When grain hits the knives, it flies off to the side and begins to slide. But sooner or later the grain hits the wire and immediately falls under a sharp knife.
- You need to immediately make two knives from sheet steel and fasten them to the hub with six-millimeter bolts. The lower knife should not reach the wall by 10 mm. The engine should be 3000 rpm. The mill motor shaft must be extended.
- The hub is attached to the shaft using a key.
- Working mesh for crushed product with cells of at least 6 - 8 mm. Under no circumstances should the ends of the knives touch the wire rods welded inside the pipe.
- The mill is installed on three legs.
Industrial models
There are grain crushers for industrial use. They are specialized, powerful, multifunctional equipment.
Himel
Himel grain crushers are available in models that provide varying degrees of grinding. They guarantee uniform crushing with a motor from 5.5 to 55 kW.
DKR
The industrial grain crusher DKR is designed for grinding grains of legumes, cereals and oilseeds. They make it possible to obtain raw materials crushed to homogeneous fractions. Thanks to the possibility of adjusting the feed volume, the use of full motor power is guaranteed without the risk of overload. This model is also suitable for farmers.
