How to Start A Feed Mill, Feed Production And Sales
The livestock feed production
industry has been largely promoted as one of the most profitable agribusinesses
to venture into. This is because the producer does not undergo the risk and
high costs of raising farm animals, which could usually cost a lot of money to
run, probably get sick, or even worse. 
Africa, especially Nigeria, has a
major impact in the worldwide production and distribution of livestock feed. In
2016 for instance, the Nigerian animal feed sector was rated the 40th largest
in the world, which is 11 steps ahead of its position in the previous years.
This shows that Nigerian farmers are quickly getting involved in the sector, because
of the opportunities that abound in it.
About 1 billion tonnes of animal
feed is sold worldwide, whereas Nigeria alone was estimated to have produced
approximately 3.8 million metric tons of animal feed in 2014 alone. The
Nigerian Institute of Animal Science statistics also shows that Nigeria hit 5.3
million metric tonnes (MT) of animal feed in 2015, as it produced 3.2 million
metric tonnes (MMT) of egg, 1.1 million metric tonnes (MMT) of chicken meat,
647,750 metric tonnes of aquaculture, 265,000 metric tonnes of pork, 53,000
metric tonnes of milk, and 41,250 metric tonnes of beef, amongst others.
This figure has grown steadily over
the years, with the country experiencing leaps in the worldwide ranking of
livestock feed producers, especially in the area of fish farming (aquaculture).
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What
Is Livestock Feed Production About?
Livestock feed production is the
manufacturing of animal feed like poultry or chicken feed, cattle feed, goat
feed, dog food, bird food, and several other types, with raw agricultural
ingredients like corn, wheat, sorghum, forage, vitamins, additives and minerals,
and formulates them into a nutritious feed tailored for a production animal’s
specific dietary needs.
Facts
And Benefits Of Livestock Feed Production
1). Serves as a great protein source
for animals.
2). A source of employment.
3). Can be cheap to produce.
4). The raw materials can be locally
sourced.
5). Machinery can be locally
fabricated at an affordable cost.
6). The market is growing rapidly
every year.
See Also: How To Start A Lucrative
Goat Farming Business In Nigeria (Complete Guide + eBook)
Business Opportunities In Livestock Feed
Production Around The World
Livestock feed production is an
agribusiness sector that has a lot of opportunities. From chicken feed
production to fish feed production, the opportunities and diversity potential
of any livestock feed production business remains vast.
Here are some business opportunities
in the livestock feed production in many places around the world including
Nigeria or Africa as a continent:
1).
Chicken Feed Production (Poultry):
Poultry or chicken feed are food
usually consumed by chickens, ducks, geese, and other domestic birds. 
They
could consist of one or more varieties of whole, cracked, or rolled grains.
These feed can also be served through troughs, hoppers, tube feeders,
scratch grains or scattered on the ground.
They
could consist of one or more varieties of whole, cracked, or rolled grains.
These feed can also be served through troughs, hoppers, tube feeders,
scratch grains or scattered on the ground.
Poultry feed is one of the most sort
after animal feed products, because of the volume of poultry animals raised in
many parts of the world yearly.
Some common categories of poultry or
chicken feed in Nigeria, Africa, and everywhere else around the world are:
- Layer Mesh
- Broiler Mesh
- Chick/Starter Mesh
- Grower Mesh
If you must start a livestock feed
production business, manufacturing poultry feed is a must!
2).
Fish Food Production:
Fish food or pellets are used to
balance the nutrition needed by domesticated fishes. They are usually in
pelletised or granule forms, and are composed of high quality nutrients like
vegetable proteins, cereal grains, vitamins and minerals, to enable the
fishes feed efficiently and grow to their full potential.
High quality fish food are always in
high demand. You can take advantage of the market’s preference for this and
manufacture slightly low priced, but good quality feeds to gain a quick market
acceptance.
Some other livestock feed business
opportunities to explore include:
- Pig Feed Production
- Goat Feed Production
- Cattle Feed Production
- Dog Food Production
- Cat Food Production
Setting
Up Your Livestock Feed Production Business
1).
Create Your Feed Formula:
After choosing the type of livestock
feed you want to produce, the next step is to create a feed formula for them.
Each livestock feed would be different from the other, as chicken feed would be
different from fish feed. You’d then need to study the nutritional requirements
of each animal, so you can determine how best to create a feed that can
lead to high yields.
Some basics that could make up your
animal feed include corn, wheat, sorghum, forage, vitamins, additives, and
minerals. Making animal feed from a good mixture of some of these will
result in a highly nutritious product.
But it’s best you attend a series of
seminars on how to make high quality animal feed, so you can get the best
results.
2).
Purchase And Mix The Feed Ingredients:
After drawing up a great formula,
purchasing the pieces you’d need to make your high-valued feed is the next
step.
Some ingredients to get include
maize, oyster shells, soybean, wheat offal, minerals, common salt, corn, wheat,
and several others.
When your suppliers bring in the
ingredients, they’re to be weighed, tested, and analysed for different
nutrients to ensure their quality and safety. This will help nutritionists to
even formulate better livestock feed for specific species.
3).
Get The Feed Equipment & Machinery:
Some very important livestock feed
equipment and machinery you must acquire for a maximum output are:
- Grinders
- Blenders & Mixers
- Pelleters
- Steam boiler
- Scales
- Sifters
- Bag sewers
- Packaging
4).
Package Your Livestock Feed:
After manufacturing your livestock
feed, the next step is to package it right for the market. It is always best to
follow the standards of the most successful product out there. By doing this,
your packaging will ring a quality alarm anytime a person comes across your
product in the market for the first time.
5).
Market The Livestock Feed:
To sell your livestock feed, there
are many ways you could go about it. Some of these are:
- Building a periodic supply chain to stores
- Owning a distribution outlet
- Building an 0n-field sales team
And several others.
Challenges
Of Livestock Feed Production
The challenges of livestock feed
production mostly ranges between these listed below:
1). Lack of experience.
2). High cost of production.
3). Low consumer purchasing power.
4). Lack of subsidy for local
agricultural production.
5). Poorly managed supply chain.
6). Spoilage of raw materials.
7). Poor processing and storage
materials.
Conclusion
While there are several
agribusinesses that have high potentials for profitability, livestock feed
production is a great one to venture into, if executed at the right
scale with a broad diversity in animal feeds produced and sold both locally and
for exports.
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