On Farm Mill and Mix Plant

[Joe2021]

HI All, I use around 1500 tons of pig feed a year and I'm looking to set up a static mill mix plant or buy Caravaggi or Artsway machine. Has anyone got some advice on cost and experience of on farm mill mixing?
Is it worth the extra work load and investment?
Mobile mill mix costing £17 per ton at the moment.

Many thanks Joe

 

[solo]

We used to mill and mix for pigs back from 1960 to 1995.
The meal was blown to various bulk hoppers around the farm. The big downside is dust both at the milling and mixing side but also when feeding the pigs. Soya oil did helped to reduce it though. My father suffered with asthma even though he wore a quality mask. The pigs were on a straw based system and the dust was in the air all the time. That was one of the main factors for getting out of pigs for me.

 

[Drillman]

HI All, I use around 1500 tons of pig feed a year and I'm looking to set up a static mill mix plant or buy Caravaggi or Artsway machine. Has anyone got some advice on cost and experience of on farm mill mixing?
Is it worth the extra work load and investment?
Mobile mill mix costing £17 per ton at the moment.

Many thanks Joe

Speak to @mph04 about mobile milling.

 

[mph04]

Speak to @mph04 about mobile milling.

My advice would be shop around for your mill and mixing doing we mill and mix but sadly only cattle feed as we would happily quote you
Setting up to do your own sounds brilliant but think how long it takes them now can you spare that time your self each week or how ever Oftern you get them in
The other thing how accurate they are now compared to a machine you would buy.
You would have a saving having your own but your time isn't free and when your flat out drilling combing do you want to be doing that job
I'm thinking you should be able to find a company to do it for closer to 15 a ton depending how many ton per visit you do

 

[Pigless]

I have had a caravaggi and a static mill in the past, I would try and build an automated static unit, possibly a skiold disc mill for pigs. The Caravaggi has its place if you cant build a static, but you soon get bored standing behind it!

 

[wr.]

Have a word with Jack Caley

http://www.calamill.com/

 

[R&D]

These are also worth a call,
bwfeeds.com

 

[Young Apprentice]

Joe2021 I am Jack’s son Richard Caley, we have some reconditioned machines in that would easily do what you need, I have two 5 tonners and a 8 tonne coming in.

New machines are now 5,8,12 & 18 tonne machines.

YA

www.calamill.com

 

[wr.]

Hello Richard @Young Apprentice . Some time in the future we intend to upgrade our Alvan Blanch mil n mix to a pto driven mill. What sort of money are we talking about for a reconditioned 5 ton machine? PM me if you rather.

 

[Young Apprentice]

Hello Richard @Young Apprentice . Some time in the future we intend to upgrade our Alvan Blanch mil n mix to a pto driven mill. What sort of money are we talking about for a reconditioned 5 ton machine? PM me if you rather.

£22 & £23k respectively for the 5 tonners but I also have a 4 tonner we haven’t overhauled yet and a 8 tonner soon coming back in. Call if you wish to ask anything 07770 276282

 

[wr.]

Thanks @Young Apprentice. When we decide to change we will get in touch.

 

[Young Apprentice]

Thanks @Young Apprentice. When we decide to change we will get in touch.

1984, in front of the factory in Pontoglio

A 8 and a 5 tonner on the lorry

A 12 tonner on the lorry

A 18 tonne triaxle machine in front of the Factory this year.

 

[Gedd]

Give harbro a call they run mill mix wagons all over the country

 

[Pan mixer]

I only do about a thousand tonnes per year and survive on ancient and modern bits and pieces.

If I were to want to start milling and mixing today I wouldn't start where I am.

A static unit has huge advantages but needs a building, adjacent bins (I have 5) and distribution systems - I must have 7 augers coming out of the mixers to go in various directions as well as 14 other augers getting stuff into mixers and weighers and the mill, it could have been much more streamlined and a bit more automated but repairs and changes are difficult if you really need the system every day as I do.

I had wondered about buying a mobile mill mixer but decided that it would be expensive in terms of capital and time compared to the current system. As someone says above there is a lot of waiting about whilst transferring etc.

Looking at those pictures of shiny machines above I am not sure that there is room to get everywhere that I would need to either not even mentioning the joys of various areas of Grandad Concrete that aren't getting any flatter as the years pass.

It takes about an hour a day to do my rations currently.

 

[Young Apprentice]

I only do about a thousand tonnes per year and survive on ancient and modern bits and pieces.

If I were to want to start milling and mixing today I wouldn't start where I am.

A static unit has huge advantages but needs a building, adjacent bins (I have 5) and distribution systems - I must have 7 augers coming out of the mixers to go in various directions as well as 14 other augers getting stuff into mixers and weighers and the mill, it could have been much more streamlined and a bit more automated but repairs and changes are difficult if you really need the system every day as I do.

I had wondered about buying a mobile mill mixer but decided that it would be expensive in terms of capital and time compared to the current system. As someone says above there is a lot of waiting about whilst transferring etc.

Looking at those pictures of shiny machines above I am not sure that there is room to get everywhere that I would need to either not even mentioning the joys of various areas of Grandad Concrete that aren't getting any flatter as the years pass.

It takes about an hour a day to do my rations currently.

Pan Mixer, when rigged to fill a 5 tonner will usually mill mix and deliver to a on farm bin in an hour! Some people put 5.5 tonnes in, a 8 tonner will be just over the hour depending on tractor HP!

We try to keep these simple!

YA

 

[Pan mixer]

Pan Mixer, when rigged to fill a 5 tonner will usually mill mix and deliver to a on farm bin in an hour! Some people put 5.5 tonnes in, a 8 tonner will be just over the hour depending on tractor HP!

We try to keep these simple!

YA

With 10 bins that hold about 2 tonnes each with 6 different rations some of which last a whole week but no longer than that for feed freshness it wouldn't fit my system.

I don't know what the op is using his rations for but in certain situations your system would be very good.

 

[MF565]

Where I work we run a 4t mill and mix as a stationary unit unloading into a blower trailer, 1 mixing and 1 on the blower trailer can do 50t plus comfortably and on big days done 70 plus tons in the day, currently averaging about 100t a week in 2 days. We have 1 directly into the mill and 4 augers into the mill. Can't fault the mill works well and is reliable considered the age and tonnage its had through it and if anything does go down its good to work on.

 

[Young Apprentice]

With 10 bins that hold about 2 tonnes each with 6 different rations some of which last a whole week but no longer than that for feed freshness it wouldn't fit my system.

I don't know what the op is using his rations for but in certain situations your system would be very good.

At the end of the day if you make it yourself (mobile or static) you insure the quality you want and save the cost of using an outside provider. However if you do a time and motion you may find that your time is not being well spent, I have clients who have taken this further and have two weeks of feed storage in their bulk bins, thus in harvest and Christmas they can get filled and do other things. It’s all about time!

YA

 

[Young Apprentice]

Where I work we run a 4t mill and mix as a stationary unit unloading into a blower trailer, 1 mixing and 1 on the blower trailer can do 50t plus comfortably and on big days done 70 plus tons in the day, currently averaging about 100t a week in 2 days. We have 1 directly into the mill and 4 augers into the mill. Can't fault the mill works well and is reliable considered the age and tonnage its had through it and if anything does go down its good to work on.

MF565 I guess you are based in the Blackpool area?

Blowing trailers are ok to a point but a lot of my free range chicken clients would not thank you for meal through a standard “high volume low air pressure” feed blower trailer, the separation can be an issue with chickens! Not so much with pigs.

YA