Method of hydrothermal treatment of animal feed

摘要

Since milk production (or growth) is influenced principally by the conversion of starches, i.e. carbohydrates, into glucose in the small intestine the foodstuff is treated with water and steam. This forms a protein layer around the starch particles that protects them in the rumen but is digested by enzymes in the intestine. The foodstuff is first reduced by a hammer-mill in stage 1 before passing into conditioning stage 2 where water and steam are added. The dwell time in this stage is between 10 and 120 sec. at a temperature of about 80 degrees C. At stage 3 a screw feed extrudes the feedstuff through a perforated plate at about 50 bar, producing heat mechanically which, when boosted by additional steam, raises the temperature to about 130 degrees C. The extrusions are then cooled in stage 5.