Next month, as part of a one day workshop, pork producers will have an opportunity to tour the facility and learn more about feed processing techniques and technologies and how feed processing can affect their profitability. The workshop, "Feeding the Manitoba Pork Industry," is slated for March 16. It is being hosted by the Canadian International Grains Institute and the University of Manitoba in conjunction with Manitoba Pork Council.

The new state of the art feed processing facility is allowing scientists to gain a greater understanding of the impact of feed processing on animal nutrition and performance. It features an automated feed processing line complete with both hammer mill and roller mill capacity, micro-bins and vertical mixer along with pelleting and crumbling capabilities. It also features a micro-mix preparation area and a flexible ingredient processing area complete with grain pearling and particle size reduction equipment.

Multi-species feed processing
"The facility is designed so that it can process feeds for cattle, dairy and beef, swine and poultry and it is being used for all of those purposes," states Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences associate dean of research Dr. Karin Wittenberg.
"The mill is designed to meet the requirements of the research herds and flocks associated with the University of Manitoba. What we have tried to do is have our runs large enough that we can feed the herds and flocks but also to do smaller batches.
"If we need a batch, for example, where we have very expensive equipment we may only want to make a batch size of 100 to 150 kilograms. We have the ability to go to those smaller levels for experimental diets," Dr. Wittenberg explains.

Workshop to update feed makers
"What this workshop will do is bring people who are engaged in manufacturing feed for swine recent information on some of the processes involved in making feed, giving an overview of the operation of a feed mill, some of the dos and don'ts and some of the new things to be looking out for," explains Dr. Jim House an associate professor with the University’s Department of Animal Science.

New mill well suited for extension
Dr. Wittenberg notes that the feed mill is well designed for bringing in industry people to look at processing technologies that can improve efficiencies with which feeds are being utilized and to improve their understanding of how feed processing equipment works.
"As we look at improving on agriculture practices, developing more sustainable practices, we will always be looking at new crops and looking at new ways of using those crops as a feed source for our livestock.
"This feed mill, in particular, is well designed to bring in pilot equipment, to look at better processing technologies so that the nutrients in our crops are more available to the animals that we feed."

Related links:
University of Manitoba Department of Animal Science
Manitoba Pork Council

To subscribe to the free AllAboutFeed newsletter click here.