Journal ID : AMA-26-06-2024-13129
[This article belongs to Volume - 55, Issue - 06]
Total View : 385

Title : Design and Development of a Hydraulic Feed Block making Machine for Yak, Mithun and other Cattle Family Farmers of Northeastern region of India

Abstract :

In India due to non-availability of crop residues during winter season at high altitude areas of north eastern region, animals like Yak (Bos grunniens) and Mithun (Bos frontalis) have to suffer scarcity of food. The scarcity of food results in decreasing of milk production, deterioration of body weight and low fertility. To maintain a good livestock production of Compressed Feed Block (CFB) is one of the main options that is available. Though feed block making machines are available in the market, but those machines are costly and difficult to transport in the hilly areas. Those machines are mainly run with electricity which is also creating a problem to run in the interior areas of the region. Therefore, the objective of this research is to design and developed an efficient and affordable feed block making machine useful for the Yak and Mithun farmers of the region. The machine mainly works on hydraulic principle that is used to produce the compressed feed blocks. The fabricated machine consists of a 10 – tonne capacity hydraulic jack, frame and a cylindrical mould. Four samples of feed blocks are produced with different ratios of raw materials under the pressure of 5, 6, 7 and 8 MPa, respectively. The raw materials that is used for producing the feed blocks during the research are rice straw, rice bran, molasses and mustard cake. With this machine a feed block of size 130 mm diameter and 5 mm wall thickness can be produced. Physical properties like shatter index is evaluated and out of which sample 4 has got a good shatter index with retention of 82.1% of its weight whereas the percentage retention of sample 1 is 71.3% i.e. the least among 4 samples.

Full article