1T/H Orchard Grass Hammer Mill Grinder in Czech Republic

Why a Sport Horse Farm in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands Needed a Grinder

The Czech Republic has a strong equestrian tradition, with breeding centered around Kladruby and the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands.

Orchard grass (cocksfoot) is a popular forage because it tolerates the region's cold winters and variable rainfall. It has good palatability – the horses like the taste – but the stems are thicker than ryegrass.

The farm manager had tried feeding long orchard grass hay, but the horses would eat the leaves and softer stems, leaving the coarser stems in the feeder.

He looked at a German-made hammer mill offered by a dealer in Brno. The price was 320,000 Czech koruna ($14,000 USD) for a 45kW machine. He looked at an Austrian mill – 380,000 koruna for a 55kW machine. He found us through a reference from a stud farm in Slovakia.

Setting Up for Orchard Grass Grinding

The farm has a bale breaker for the orchard grass bales. The broken material is fed into the mill by a belt conveyor. The crusher machine came with three screens. The manager tested all three on the orchard grass (12% moisture):

• 10mm screen: Throughput of 1.3 tons per hour. Particle size: 75% between 3mm and 10mm, 12% below 3mm, 13% above 10mm. The horses ate most of it, but some of the thicker orchard grass stems (over 12mm) remained. Waste: about 8%.
• 8mm screen: Throughput dropped to 1.1 tons per hour. Particle size: 80% between 2mm and 8mm, 12% below 2mm, 8% above 8mm. The horses ate everything. No visible waste. The manager chose the 8mm screen as the standard.
• 6mm screen: Throughput dropped to 0.9 tons per hour. Particle size: 85% between 1.5mm and 6mm. More dust. The horses coughed slightly. Not ideal.

The 8mm screen is the sweet spot for orchard grass. The 10mm screen leaves waste. The 6mm screen creates dust that bothers horses.

The mill discharges into a cyclone. The cyclone vent goes into a fabric filter bag. Orchard grass produces moderate dust – more than ryegrass, less than alfalfa. The bag captures about 90% of fine particles.

What the Ground Orchard Grass Is Used For

Sport horse ration (performance horses in training):

• 45% ground orchard grass (8mm screen)
• 25% ground oats
• 15% sugar beet pulp
• 10% soybean meal
• 5% minerals

Broodmare ration (pregnant and lactating mares):

• 50% ground orchard grass (8mm screen)
• 20% ground barley
• 15% alfalfa pellets
• 10% soybean meal
• 5% minerals

The manager reported that feed waste has dropped from 20% to under 5%. The horses have better coat condition, and the broodmares have fewer digestive issues.

What the Customer Said After Ten Months

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

The mill runs about four hours per day, five days per week. We have put about 800 hours on it. We changed the hammers at 400 hours – flipped them to the unused side. The 8mm screen is still the original – no holes.

Orchard grass is coarser than ryegrass, but the mill handles it well. The 8mm screen is the right choice. The horses eat everything now.

The only issue was the dust in the winter when the barn is closed. We added a second filter bag. That helped.

Would I buy from RICHI again? Yes. The mill has reduced our hay waste significantly.

Logistics: Shipping from Qingdao to Koper (then overland to the Czech Republic)

The Czech Republic is landlocked. The nearest seaport with good rail connections is Koper in Slovenia, on the Adriatic Sea. The mill was shipped from Qingdao to Koper – about 35 days at sea. From Koper, the customer arranged truck transport to Brno, about 550 kilometers north. Total transit time was about 48 days.

Pre-sale services that built their confidence

• Material testing: He sent us 20kg of orchard grass hay by air freight. We ran it through an SFSP66*60 using 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm screens. The 8mm screen produced the best balance. We sent him the particle size analysis and a video.
• Equine nutrition advice: We explained that horses need coarser grind than cattle to avoid colic. The 8mm screen was recommended based on his vet's guidance.
• Reference from a customer in Slovakia: We put him in touch with a stud farm in Bratislava that had bought an SFSP66*60 from us for orchard grass. They confirmed that the 8mm screen worked well for their horses.
• English manual with photos: The photos helped his maintenance team.

A Note on Grinding Orchard Grass

• Orchard grass has thicker stems than ryegrass. Throughput is about 1.1 tons per hour on the 8mm screen – lower than ryegrass but acceptable.
• The 8mm screen is the right choice for horses. The 10mm screen leaves waste. The 6mm screen creates dust.
• Dust is moderate. Orchard grass produces more dust than ryegrass. In winter when the barn is closed, a second filter bag helps.
• Hammer wear is moderate. The manager got 400 hours from the first hammer set – typical for orchard grass.
• The magnetic grate caught several pieces of wire from the bales. Essential.

Global Reach of RICHI Hammer Mills

This project in the Czech Republic is one example. RICHI has exported hammer mills for orchard grass and other cool-season grasses to over 80 countries. The SFSP66*60 is a popular choice for medium-sized horse operations because it can handle the coarser stems of orchard grass while maintaining good throughput. The 8mm screen is a standard recommendation for equine orchard grass grinding.

If You Are Grinding Orchard Grass for Horses

What screen size do your horses need? For adult horses, 8mm works well. For ponies or miniature horses, 6mm. For weanlings, 6-8mm. Test a few sizes.

What is your moisture? Orchard grass hay should be below 14% moisture. Higher moisture can cause mold.

How will you handle the dust? Orchard grass produces moderate dust. A cyclone with a fabric filter bag is usually enough. In winter, a second bag helps.

What is your throughput requirement? The SFSP66*60 with a 55kW motor can handle 0.9-1.3 tons per hour on an 8mm screen.

Do you have a bale breaker? Yes, essential for consistent feeding.

If you have orchard grass and horses, a hammer mill with an 8mm screen can improve feed efficiency and reduce waste. Send us a sample of your orchard 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.