2.0–2.5 T/H Hay Hammer Mill in UAE

Al Ain Is a Realistic Location for a Forage-Grinding Project

Al Ain and the wider Abu Dhabi livestock sector support significant camel, sheep and goat production. At the same time, the UAE has long faced a structural shortage of water for forage cultivation, which means livestock producers cannot assume that all roughage will be grown locally.

This is particularly important for Rhodes grass. Although it has historically been used as forage in the UAE, Abu Dhabi sharply reduced local cultivation because of its very high irrigation demand. Imported fodder therefore remains an important part of livestock feeding in the region.

The customer in this project buys forage from several sources rather than relying on one locally grown crop.

Why the Raw Material Mix Was Changed

The original concept treated Rhodes grass, Sudan grass and barley straw as though they were all routinely produced around Al Ain in large quantities.

That would not accurately reflect the UAE forage situation.

The farm’s actual roughage supply is more mixed. Imported alfalfa hay is an important component, while Rhodes grass hay can still be used when commercially available. Barley straw and other suitable dry roughages are incorporated according to price, nutrient specification and seasonal supply.

That makes the hay hammer mill valuable because the machine is selected around the physical form of dry forage, not around one specific grass species.

Why the Customer Needed a Dedicated Hay Grinder

The farm already owned a smaller grain grinder for barley and other concentrate ingredients.

Using the same machine for both cereal grain and long fibrous hay created unnecessary compromises.

Grain flows relatively easily and breaks under impact. Hay is much lighter, longer and more prone to bridging and wrapping.

The SFSP66×80 was therefore installed as a dedicated forage-grinding machine so the grain section could remain optimized for dense feed ingredients.

Whole Bales Do Not Enter the Hammer Mill

The farm receives forage in compressed bales.

Those bales are first opened mechanically. Long hay is then coarsely reduced before it reaches the hammer mill.

This pre-processing stage is essential.

If long stems are fed directly into the SFSP66×80, they can bridge above the inlet, wrap around feeding components and create unstable loading inside the grinding chamber.

The hammer mill therefore performs secondary size reduction rather than acting as both bale breaker and fine grinder.

SFSP66×80 Configuration for the UAE Farm

The 2.0–2.5 T/H figure is treated as a reference rather than a fixed guarantee.

Actual throughput changes with forage density, stem length, moisture, screen size, pre-cut quality and hammer condition.

The Farm Does Not Grind Hay to 3–5 mm for Direct Camel Feeding

The original project defined 3–5 mm as the standard final size for direct camel and sheep feeding.

That is too fine to present as a universal roughage target.

Camel and sheep rations still require adequate physically effective fibre. Grinding all forage to a very fine meal would reduce the structural function of the roughage and increase dust.

The customer therefore adjusts screen size according to how the ground forage will be used.

For mixed concentrate or pellet production, a finer grind can be appropriate. For direct inclusion in a roughage-rich mixed ration, a coarser cut is normally retained.

Hay Particle Size Is Determined by the Next Process

The farm uses the ground forage in more than one feed-preparation scenario.

For certain mixed rations, the objective is simply to shorten long stems so that animals cannot sort the forage easily and the mixer can distribute it more consistently.

For feed that will be further pelletized, the material needs to be finer so it can enter the ring-die process without long fibres.

This is why the SFSP66×80 is supplied with interchangeable screens rather than one permanent 3 mm specification.

Alfalfa Is More Relevant Than Claiming Local Rhodes Grass Is Abundant

Rhodes grass has a long history in UAE livestock feeding, and UAE research has used Rhodes grass hay in sheep and goat diets. However, water conservation policies in Abu Dhabi substantially reduced its cultivation because of the crop’s irrigation demand. 

For a current Al Ain feeding project, it is therefore more realistic to describe Rhodes grass as one possible purchased forage rather than the farm’s dominant locally grown feed.

Imported alfalfa and other purchased roughages play an important role in the supply chain.

Why the UAE Forage Market Depends on Imported Feed

The UAE has deliberately shifted part of its fodder supply away from water-intensive domestic production.

Abu Dhabi authorities have previously approved large-scale fodder imports specifically to reduce groundwater consumption, and industry reporting has repeatedly described imported fodder as a structural reality for UAE livestock production.

This makes an on-farm hay hammer mill useful even when the farm does not grow the forage itself.

The machine creates value by standardizing purchased hay after it arrives, regardless of whether the bale originated in the UAE or overseas.

Sudan Grass Was Removed as a Core Feedstock

Sudan grass can be used as forage in arid and semi-arid livestock systems, but there was no need to present it as a dominant Al Ain raw material for this project.

The final case instead focuses on forage streams that are more defensible for the customer: alfalfa hay, Rhodes grass hay where available, barley straw and other dry roughage purchased through commercial feed channels.

The Grain Section Remains Separate

The farm sometimes adds barley or other energy ingredients to camel and sheep rations.

Those grains do not need to pass through the hay hammer mill.

The existing grain grinder continues to handle dense cereal ingredients, while the SFSP66×80 processes the low-density fibrous portion.

This separation helps keep both machines working closer to the conditions they were designed for.

Date Seeds Are Not a Default Ingredient

Date-processing residues can be used in livestock feed under the right formulation and processing conditions, but date seed meal is not automatically added at 10–15% simply because the farm is in the UAE.

If the customer uses date by-products, their inclusion is determined by nutrient analysis, processing quality and ration formulation.

The hay hammer mill itself is not selected around date seeds.

Moisture Matters More Than the Country’s Dry Climate

The UAE is arid, but forage moisture cannot be assumed from outdoor weather alone.

Imported hay may arrive with different moisture depending on production, storage and sea transport conditions.

The farm therefore inspects bales before grinding.

Excessively damp forage can reduce hammer-mill throughput and increase screen loading, while extremely dry material can create more dust.

The machine performs best when the incoming forage is dry enough to fracture cleanly but not so dusty that handling becomes difficult.

Dust Control Is Essential in Hay Grinding

Dry alfalfa and grass hay can generate substantial fine dust during grinding.

The SFSP66×80 is therefore connected to an aspiration and dust-control system.

Air extraction assists material movement through the grinding chamber while helping control airborne particulate around the machine.

The farm also maintains good housekeeping because settled forage dust can accumulate around motors, bearings and structural surfaces.

The UAE Climate Changes Maintenance Priorities

The machine operates indoors, but the farm environment is still hot and dusty for much of the year.

Maintenance therefore focuses on keeping cooling surfaces, motors, bearings and aspiration ducts clean.

Electrical cabinets are protected from excessive dust, and ventilation around the motor is kept unobstructed.

This is a more realistic response to Middle Eastern operating conditions than claiming the machine uses special “desert steel.”

The Hammer Mill Does Not Automatically Improve Digestibility

Reducing forage size can improve mixing consistency and reduce selective feeding, but the farm does not claim that hammer milling alone creates a specific increase in digestibility or animal performance.

Camel and sheep performance depends on forage quality, total ration composition, nutrient balance, health and management.

The measurable function of the machine is physical preparation: making bales easier to mix and process in a repeatable way.

The Farm Uses the Ground Forage in Controlled Mixed Rations

After grinding, the forage moves to the existing mixing section.

Depending on the animal group, the farm combines it with concentrates, mineral supplements and other approved ingredients according to the nutrition program.

The forage fraction remains substantial enough to maintain its roughage role.

The hammer mill helps achieve a more consistent distribution of that forage through the batch rather than turning the ration into fine powder.

Camels and Sheep Are Not Given the Same Formula

The farm keeps separate feeding programs for camels and sheep.

Growing sheep, breeding ewes and mature camels have different intake and nutrient requirements.

The same hay hammer mill can prepare forage for all of them, but screen selection and mixing ratios are adjusted according to the intended ration.

This is more credible than describing one 3–5 mm ground hay product as ideal for every animal on the farm.

Why the Farm Bought One Machine Instead of a Complete Line

The customer already had bale handling, grain grinding, feed mixing and internal distribution equipment.

Outsourcing the forage grinding step had become inconvenient, but the rest of the feed-preparation system still worked.

One SFSP66×80 therefore filled the missing process without forcing the farm to invest in a full factory.

The hay crusher machine was selected around the capacity of the existing mixer so that the new grinder would not overwhelm downstream equipment.

Shipping through Jebel Ali Is Practical for Al Ain

The SFSP66×80 was exported from Qingdao Port to Jebel Ali in Dubai and then transported by road to the Al Ain area.

Jebel Ali is a practical gateway for industrial equipment destined for the UAE interior.

Before shipment, RICHI supplied equipment dimensions, electrical information, foundation requirements, aspiration interfaces and maintenance-clearance recommendations so the customer could prepare the installation area in advance.

The First Adjustment Was Not More Power

During commissioning, the operator initially believed that short periods of lower throughput indicated insufficient motor power.

The actual cause was inconsistent pre-cut length from the bale-opening section.

When long pieces entered the hammer mill, feeding became less stable and the chamber load fluctuated.

After the coarse-cutting stage was adjusted, throughput became more predictable without changing the 75 kW motor.

What the Customer Learned from Daily Operation

“The biggest improvement came from separating the forage process from the grain process. We now open and cut the hay first, then use the hammer mill only for the size reduction we actually need. When the incoming fibre length is consistent, the machine runs much more smoothly.”

The farm also stopped trying to use one screen for every ration.

Screen selection is now linked to whether the ground hay goes into a coarse mixed ration or a finer downstream feed process.

Maintenance Is Based on Forage Condition

Hammers and screens are inspected according to wear rather than replaced after a fixed number of hours.

Forage contaminated with sand or soil can accelerate wear substantially, especially when bales have been stored directly on the ground.

The farm therefore gives as much attention to hay storage and cleanliness as it does to hammer material.

Motor current, throughput and particle distribution are monitored as indicators of changing machine condition.

Hay Hammer Mill in UAE for an Al Ain Livestock Operation

This hay hammer mill in UAE project is a forage-processing retrofit for a large camel and sheep operation rather than a generic “Middle East grass grinding” case.

The customer uses one SFSP66×80 with a 660 mm rotor, 800 mm grinding-chamber width, 75 kW main motor and approximately 2.0–2.5 T/H reference forage capacity under suitable pre-cut conditions.

The main raw materials are imported or commercially purchased alfalfa hay, Rhodes grass hay where available, barley straw and similar dry roughage. Whole bales are opened and pre-cut first. Grain and other dense concentrate ingredients remain in a separate grinding system.

For another customer evaluating a hay hammer mill in UAE, RICHI Machinery would first review livestock type, daily forage requirement, bale dimensions and density, forage source, moisture, pre-cut equipment, target particle size, whether the material goes into TMR or pellet production, required tonnes per hour, mixer capacity, dust-control system, electrical supply and available installation space before selecting the grinder.

That approach is especially important in the UAE because forage supply is shaped as much by water policy and imported-feed logistics as by the livestock itself. The right grinder must therefore handle changing dry forage sources without pretending that every farm has an unlimited local supply of Rhodes grass.