The effect of pellet diameter on the liveweight gain, feed intake and feeding behaviour of young pigs was examined. Two hundred and thirty four pigs were placed on trial at 10 days of age, whilst still suckling their dam. Pigs were weaned at approximately 28 days of age into fully slatted flatdeck accommodation and remained on trial until approximately 56 days of age. Pigs were assigned to one ...

Feed characteristics may influence the bacterial community composition and metabolic activities in the pig gastrointestinal tract, known to be associated with positive effects on the gut. Use of mash feed is associated with reduced Salmonella excretion, but little is known of its effect on the Escherichia coli population or of the mechanism of action. Our objectives were to assess the effect of...

The objective of this study was to examine main and interactive effects of nutrient density (ND), feed form (FF; mash, pellet), and lighting program (12L:12D, 20L:4D) on production characteristics and meat yield of broilers raised to 35 d of age. Diets (starter, grower, and finisher) were formulated so that amino acid levels were in proportion to the dietary energy level. Lighting programs were...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the effect of pelleted and expanded sorghum-based feeds prepared with different moisture levels and particle size of ingredients on metabolizable energy, ileal digestibility of amino acids and broiler performance. METHODS The experiment was performed with 720 male broiler chicks of the Cobb strain, with treatments of six replications, with 15 birds each; t...

Pelleting costs money, and better pellets cost a little more. Payback comes in the form of convenience in handling the feed and more efficient use of the feed by the animal. Improved efficiency is due in part to heat processing which reduces pathogens and makes starches more digestible. A significant portion of the improvement is related to the physical form of the pellet. Durable pellets reduc...

The Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) will use an advanced, high-velocity pellet injection system to achieve and maintain ignited plasmas. Two pellet injectors are provided: a moderate-velocity (1 to 1 S-km/s), single-stage pneumatic injector with high reliability and a high-velocity (4to 5-km/s), two-stage pellet injector that uses frozen hydrogenic pellets encased in sabots. Both pellet injector...

In terms of pellet mill operations, the conditioning process has greater influence on pellet quality than does die specification. A great deal of attention must be paid to steam quantity and control, moisture content, retention time and mixing action within the conditioner. In general, most feed manufacturers have not optimized the conditioning process but try to solve pellet quality issues usi...