FEED MILL MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

(FORMERLY FEED MILL MANAGEMENT AND FEED FORMULATION)

PO (ANS) 425 Sec. 601
Instructors
Dr. Peter R. Ferket, Ph.D Dr. Charles Stark, Ph.D.
Professor of Nutrition Assistant Professor, Feed Science and
Department of Poultry Science Technology

Office: 234 C Scott Hall

Dr. Peter R. Ferket Telephone: 919-515-5399
Office: 234 E Scott Hall Email: Charles_Stark@ncsu.edu
Telephone: 919-515-5409 Office hours: By appointment
Email: Peter_Ferket@ncsu.edu
Office hours: By appointment.
Dr. Ferket's Brief Biological Background

Dr. Peter Ferket is a native of Canada where he grew up on the family swine and poultry farm near
London, Ontario. He earned a B.S. degree in Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Guelph in
1981. He was awarded an M.S. degree in poultry nutrition from the University of Guelph in 1983, and a
Ph.D. degree in animal nutrition from Iowa State University in 1987. In 1988, Dr. Ferket joined the
Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University where he is responsible for extension
education, research, and teaching in the discipline of nutrition, feed formulation, and feed mill
management. He has devoted much of his extension and research efforts on nutritional factors that affect
growth and health of poultry, with a special interest in turkeys. His work also addresses animal nutrition
and environmental issues, nutrient emissions, by-product processing and utilization, feed formulation, and
feed mill management. Dr. Ferket is recognized internationally as a frequent speaker at animal and
poultry nutrition conferences. He has authored several publications in poultry nutrition, feed
manufacturing, and by-product evaluation.

Course Prerequisites
Introductory Nutrition NTR (ANS, PO) 415 or ANS 230 at N.C. State University; or a basic course in
animal and/or poultry nutrition, or animal production; or industry experience.
Course Overview
This course is about the the art and science of commercial feed manufacturing. The purpose of this
course is to introduce you to the feed manufacturing industry. The feed industry is a very comprehensive
industry employing people with a variety of skills, including process engineers, economists, marketing
experts, animal and poultry scientists, regulatory experts, quality control technicians, transportation and
distribution specialists, personnel management specialists, as well as construction and maintenance
trades. The feed industry affects all of society because it the "axel in the wheel" of our food supply, in
which human food co-products are converted to added-value feeds for animals that in turn provide high
quality food for people throughout the world. Thus the feed industry has an awesome responsibility of
providing a safe and secure food supply, and support a most significant economic sector of
agriculture. Both the quality and the cost of feed are major concerns for the feed industry. Feed
comprises over 60 % of animal production, so efficiency and safety is the primary goal of all feed milling
operations.

Target Student Audience

This course is designed to benefit students with the following career interests:

• Students enrolled in the Feed Mill Management Minor at North Carolina State University
• Animal and/or poultry science students interested in a career in the animal, poultry, or aquaculture
production industries
• Companion animal and zoo animal welfare and management
• Pre-veterinarian or veterinarian students
• Graduate students in the field of life sciences
• Agricultural engineering students
• Agriculture extension agents
• Feed manufacturing plant trainees
• Feed industry sales and technical service

Course Goals
1. Learn about feed industry and feed mill operation and management.
2. Understand the concepts governing feed mill design and operation.
3. Lean about the types of equipment used in a commercial feed manufacturing plant.
4. Learn to administer quality control programs for feed ingredients and feed.
5. Learn good manufacturing practices in order to meet industry and government requirements.
6. Achieve an understanding of the importance of the feed industry to food and companion
animals
7. To prepare you for entry employment in the feed industry.
8. Learn the introductory concepts of feed formulation and how it integrates with feed
production.
Course Content
The material covered in this internet-based course is applicable to feed production in both small and large
scale operations. This is a very technical course which will require the student to learn a lot of
terminology and concepts and solve typical problems in the feed industry. To cover the variety of aspects
associated with feed mill management, this course is divided into 4 distinct learning units each including
6 topic modules as shown below:

Unit # 1: Feed Industry and Feed Mill Design

1. The Feed Manufacturing Industry 4. Feed Process Layout
2. Feed Mill Business Feasibility 5. Feed Mill Equipment
3. Feed Mill Design and Construction 6. Utilities and Maintenance

Unit # 2: Feed Manufacturing Operations

1. Ingredient Receiving and Storage 4. Conditioning/heat processing
2. Particle Size Reduction 5. Pellet and Extrusion Processing
3. Feed Batching and Mixing 6. Cooling and Post-Pellet Applications

Unit # 3: Facility and Quality Management

1. Housekeeping 4. Grain and Animal By-products
2. Occupational Safety 5. Feed Quality Assurance
3. Pest Management 6. Purchasing Feed Ingredients

Unit # 4: Feed Formulation and Feed Products

1. Computer Applications 4. Premixes and Concentrates
2. Feed Formulation 5. Non-ruminant Feeds
3. Micro-ingredients 6. Ruminant Feeds

Within each learning module and topic area, there will be a variety of learning materials,
including lecture notes, lecture slide presentations with audio, external reading assignments,
homework assignments, and quizzes. Follow the work plan in sequential order as presented and
try to keep pace with the rest of the class, following the suggested schedule below.
Suggested Learning Schedule

Week Learning Units and Lecture Modules

1 Course introductions; personal background, scavenger hunt.
Unit 1: Industry Overview; Feed Mill Business Feasibility; Business Feasibility
2
Assignment
Unit 1: 3. Feed Mill Design and Construction; 4. Feed Process Layout; Layout
3
Design Assignment
4 Unit 1: 5. Feed Mill Equipment; Equipment Capacity Assignment
5 Unit 1: 5. 6. Mill Management; Management Assignment; Unit 1 Exam
Unit 2: 1. Ingredient Receiving and Storage; 2. Particle Size Reduction; 3. Feed
6
Batching and Mixing. Quality of Mix assignment.
Unit 2: 4. Conditioning; 5. Pellet and Extrusion Processing; Pellet quality
7
assignment.
8 Unit 2: 6. Cooling and Post-Pellet Applications. Unit 2 Exam.
9 Unit 3: 1. Housekeeping; 2. Occupational Safety; 3. Pest Management;
10 Unit 3: 3. Housekeeping and safety assignments; 4. Grain and Animal by-products
Unit 3: 5. Feed Quality Assurance; 6. Purchasing Feed Ingredients; Purchasing
11
Assignment. Unit 3 Exam
Unit 4: 1. Computer Applications; 2. Feed Formulation; Feed Formulation
12
Assignment.
13 Unit 4: 3. Micro-ingredients 4. Premixes and Concentrates;
14 Unit 4: 5. Non-ruminant Feeds; 6. Ruminant Feeds. Unit 4 Exam
15 Review / catch up week
16 Final Exam

Course Materials
All of the important materials required for this course are provided online or via links to other
online sources. The text book for supplemental reading is from "Feed Manufacturing
Technology V" Ed. Eileen K Schofield, American Feed Industry Association, Inc., 1501 Wilson
Blvd., Suite 1100, Arlington, VA. This book can be ordered from the NCSU bookstore or the
American Feed Industry Association. Reading assignments and homework assignments due
dates will be posted online.

Examination and Testing

After you have read or listened to the lecture material, completed the self-tests, quizzes,
and assignments, you may take the learning unit exam. Once you submitted your exam, you
begin the next learning unit. Use of the online discussion board to communicate with your
classmates is encouraged, as this will enhance your learning experience.
Grading % of Total Grade
Feed Mill Design Feasibility Assignment 2.5%
Feed Mill Process Layout Design Assignment 5%
Feed Mill Capacity Calculation Assignment 5%
Mill Management Style Assessment Assignment 2.5%
Mill Maintenance and Safety Training Assignment 2.5%
Occupational Safety Quiz 2.5%
Ingredient and Mixing Quality Assessment Assignment 2.5%
Pellet Quality Assurance assignment 2.5%
Purchasing Agreement Assignment 2.5%
Least-cost Feed Formulation Assignment 2.5%
Unit 1 Exam 15%
Unit 2 Exam 15%
Unit 3 Exam 15%
Unit 4 Exam 15%
Final Exam 10%
Total Grade 100%

Course Policies
Grading System

A Range: A+ 97 to 100 A 93 to 97 A- 90 to 93
B Range: B+ 87 to 90 B 83 to 87 B- 80 to 83
C Range: C+ 77 to 80 C 73 to 77 C- 70 to 73
D Range: D+ 67 to 70 D 63 to 67 D- 60 to 63
No Credit: <60

Failure to turn in an assignment results in a zero for that assignment.

Student Conduct:
Students are expected to follow the North Carolina State University CODE OF STUDENT
CONDUCT. This includes not cheating on exams and quizzes. Students are expected to do their
own work and participate equitably on team projects. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated,
including the giving, taking, or presenting of information or material with the intent of
unethically or fraudulently aiding oneself or another person on any work related to your class.

Disabled Students:
NC State is subject to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regulations
implementing Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.