1-1.4T/H Bermuda Grass Hammer Mill in Greece

He contacted us after seeing an SFSP mill at a feed plant in Volos. He asked if our hammer mills could handle Bermuda grass – which is finer-stemmed than orchard grass but leafier than wheat straw.

We said yes, with a 6mm screen for beef cattle. He ended up buying an SFSP66*60 grass hammer mill with a 55kW motor. He also ordered 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm screens.

Why a Beef Feedlot in the Thessaly Plain Needed a Grinder

The Thessaly plain is Greece's agricultural heartland, with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Bermuda grass (also known as coastal hay) is a popular forage because it tolerates drought and regrows quickly after cutting. The feedlot cuts the grass three times per year, dries it in the field for 3-4 days, and bales it at 10-12% moisture – very dry due to the hot sun.

The challenge: Bermuda grass hay is lightweight and can be dusty. The fine stems break easily. When fed long, the cattle would waste the smaller pieces – about 15% of each bale – because they would fall through the feeder.

The manager had tried feeding chopped Bermuda grass from a local contractor. The chop size was inconsistent – some pieces over 25mm, some under 1mm. The TMR would separate, with the fine dust settling at the bottom of the mixer.

Setting Up for Bermuda Grass Grinding

The feedlot has a bale breaker for the Bermuda grass bales. The broken material is fed into the mill by a belt conveyor. The mill came with three screens. The manager tested all three on the Bermuda grass (11% moisture):

• 8mm screen: Throughput of 1.4 tons per hour. Particle size: 75% between 2mm and 8mm, 15% below 2mm, 10% above 8mm. The cattle ate most of it, but some dust and fines settled at the bottom of the feeder. Waste: about 5%.
• 6mm screen: Throughput dropped to 1.2 tons per hour. Particle size: 85% between 1.5mm and 6mm, 12% below 1.5mm, 3% above 6mm. The cattle ate everything. No dust settlement. The manager chose the 6mm screen as the standard.
• 4mm screen: Throughput dropped to 1.0 tons per hour. Particle size: 85% between 1mm and 4mm. More dust. The TMR mixer had issues with dust sticking to the sides.

The 6mm screen is the sweet spot for Bermuda grass. The 8mm screen leaves some dust that settles. The 4mm screen creates too much dust for comfortable mixing.

The mill discharges into a cyclone. The cyclone vent goes into a baghouse filter – not just a fabric bag. Bermuda grass, when very dry, produces fine dust that can be irritating. The baghouse captures 99% of it.

What the Ground Bermuda Grass Is Used For

The feedlot produces a finishing ration for beef cattle:

• 40% ground Bermuda grass (6mm screen)
• 25% ground corn grain
• 15% wheat middlings (local byproduct)
• 10% soybean meal
• 10% minerals and molasses

The manager reported that feed waste has dropped from 15% to under 3%. The TMR is more consistent. The cattle are gaining weight faster – about 5% better feed conversion.

The feedlot also sells ground Bermuda grass to a local goat dairy for €90 per ton – higher than unprocessed hay (€70 per ton) because the goats waste less.

What the Customer Said After Ten Months

We spoke with the feedlot manager about ten months after delivery. Here is what he told us:

The mill runs about five hours per day, five days per week. We have put about 1,000 hours on it. We changed the hammers at 500 hours – flipped them to the unused side. The 6mm screen is still the original – no holes.

Bermuda grass is very dry – sometimes 10% moisture. It grinds easily. The 6mm screen is perfect for our cattle. No waste. The TMR is consistent.

The only issue was the dust. Bermuda grass produces fine dust when it is very dry. The baghouse filter was expensive but necessary. Our workers used to cough. Now the air is clean.

Would I buy from RICHI again? Yes. The mill has improved our feed efficiency.

Logistics: Shipping from Qingdao to Thessaloniki

Greece's main seaport for the northern region is Thessaloniki on the Aegean Sea. The mill was shipped from Qingdao to Thessaloniki – about 30 days at sea. From Thessaloniki, the customer arranged truck transport to Larissa, about 150 kilometers southwest. Total transit time was about 38 days.

Pre-sale services that built their confidence

• Material testing: He sent us 20kg of Bermuda grass hay by air freight. We ran it through an SFSP66*60 using 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm screens. The 6mm screen produced the best balance. We sent him the particle size analysis and a video.
• Dust control advice: We explained that a cyclone would not be enough for very dry Bermuda grass. He bought a baghouse filter based on our specifications.
• Reference from a customer in Cyprus: We put him in touch with a feedlot in Nicosia that had bought an SFSP66*60 from us for Bermuda grass. They confirmed that the 6mm screen worked well and that a baghouse was needed.
• English manual with photos: The photos helped his maintenance team.

A Note on Grinding Bermuda Grass

• Bermuda grass grinds easily when dry. Throughput is good – 1.2 tons per hour on the 6mm screen.
• The 6mm screen is the right choice for beef cattle. The 8mm screen leaves dust. The 4mm screen creates too much dust.
• Dust is a significant issue with very dry Bermuda grass. A baghouse filter is recommended over a simple cyclone.
• Hammer wear is moderate. Bermuda grass has some silica but less than rice straw or cotton stalks. The manager got 500 hours from the first hammer set.
• The magnetic grate caught several pieces of wire from the bales. Essential.

Global Reach of RICHI Hammer Mills

This project in Greece is one example. RICHI has exported hammer mills for Bermuda grass and other warm-season grasses to over 80 countries. The SFSP66*60 is a popular choice for medium-sized feedlots because it can handle the fine, dry stems of Bermuda grass while maintaining good throughput. The 6mm screen is a standard recommendation for beef cattle.

If You Are Grinding Bermuda Grass for Beef Cattle

A few things to consider:

• What screen size do your cattle need? For beef cattle finishing rations, 6mm works well. For stocker cattle, 8mm. For dairy cows, 6-8mm.
• What is your moisture? Bermuda grass hay is often very dry (10-12%). That is ideal for grinding but produces more dust than higher-moisture hay.
• How will you handle the dust? Bermuda grass produces fine dust when very dry. A baghouse filter is recommended over a simple cyclone.
• What is your throughput requirement? The SFSP66*60 can handle 1.0-1.4 tons per hour on a 6mm screen, depending on the dryness of the hay.
• Do you have a bale breaker? Yes, essential for consistent feeding.

If you have Bermuda grass and beef cattle, a hammer mill with a 6mm screen can reduce waste and improve feed conversion. Send us a sample of your Bermuda grass. We will test it with different screens and send you the particle size analysis. You can see the results before you decide. That is the best way to know. RICHI Machinery has exported hammer mills for forage processing to over 80 countries worldwide.