Pellet Durability

The durability of feed pellets is crucial to their physical integrity as they move through feed handling systems, while also impacting their palatability to livestock.  While traditional “tumble can” metrics for pellet quality have been available since the 1960’s, some implementations struggle to truly differentiate durability across a range of pellet types.  After in-house assessment of several testing options, we’ve landed on the Holmen NHP100 as our pellet durability analysis of choice and are now offering a Pellet Durability testing package.

The Holmen NHP100 is designed to simulate the types of abuse pellets undergo as they move through feed transportation systems, using high pressure air to bounce pellets off hard surfaces, some smooth and some grated, at multiple angles.  Then at fixed time intervals of 30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds, we quantify the amount of fines which are automatically filtered through a 2.5 mm screen.  For a clearer picture of how the analysis works, check out this video.

In the first 3 months of testing, we’ve found individual ingredient pellets to range in durability from 80-98% at 120 seconds, with mixed feed pellets having as little as 30% of pellets intact after 30 seconds.  Using the slope of measurements at multiple time points, pellet durability reports also include an estimated of time to 50%, indicating how long it takes 50% of pellets to degrade into fines. For an example of what results look like after analysis, check out this example report.  

This Pellet Durability assessment package is now available through all Dairyland locations for $25 per sample with a turnaround time of 3-5 days.