0.9-1.3T/H Orchard Grass Hammer Mill in Oregon USA

Why a Dairy Farm in the Willamette Valley Needed a Grinder

The Willamette Valley is known for grass seed production, including orchard grass. The farm we worked with grows its own orchard grass, cutting it twice per year – once in late spring and again in late summer. The hay is dried in the field (the valley has dry summers) and baled at 10-12% moisture.

The challenge: orchard grass stems are coarser than ryegrass. When fed long, the cows would eat the leaves and softer stems, leaving the coarser stems in the bunk. The farm owner estimated that 15% of the hay was being wasted. In summer, when cows already eat less due to heat stress, wasted feed hurts production.

He looked at a US-made hammer mill offered by a dealer in Salem. The price was $22,000 for a 45kW machine. He looked at a Canadian mill – $19,000 for a 55kW machine. He found us through a reference from a dairy in Washington. Our price, delivered to the port of Portland, was $4,500 for the SFSP66*60 with 55kW motor. That included the mill, the cyclone, and the starter screen set.

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 mill came with three screens. The owner tested all three on the orchard grass (11% moisture):

• 8mm screen: Throughput of 1.3 tons per hour. Particle size: 75% between 2mm and 8mm, 12% below 2mm, 13% above 8mm. The cows ate most of it, but some thicker orchard grass stems (over 10mm) remained. Waste: about 5%.
• 6mm screen: Throughput dropped to 1.1 tons per hour. Particle size: 85% between 1.5mm and 6mm, 10% below 1.5mm, 5% above 6mm. The cows ate everything. No visible waste. The owner chose the 6mm screen as the standard.
• 4mm screen: Throughput dropped to 0.9 tons per hour. Particle size: 85% between 1mm and 4mm. More dust. The TMR mixer had issues with dust.

The 6mm screen is the sweet spot for dairy cows on orchard grass. The 8mm screen leaves some waste. The 4mm screen reduces throughput too much.

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

The farm produces a TMR for lactating Holsteins:

• 45% ground orchard grass (6mm screen)
• 25% corn silage
• 15% ground corn grain
• 10% soybean meal
• 5% minerals

The owner reported that feed waste has dropped from 15% to under 3%. Summer feed intake has improved because the cows don't have to sort through long stems. Milk production has remained steady during the hottest months – previously it would drop by 5-8%.

What the Customer Said After Ten Months

We spoke with the farm owner 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 6mm screen is still the original – no holes.

Orchard grass is coarser than ryegrass, but the mill handles it well. The 6mm screen is the right choice. The cows eat everything now. No waste.

The only issue was the dust in the summer when it's very dry. We added a second filter bag. That helped.

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

Logistics: Shipping from Qingdao to Portland

Oregon's main seaport is Portland on the Willamette River. The mill was shipped from Qingdao to Portland – about 25 days at sea. From Portland, the customer arranged truck transport to the farm in the Willamette Valley, about 50 kilometers south. Total transit time was about 32 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 in Qingdao using 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm screens. The 6mm screen produced the best balance. We sent him the particle size analysis and a video.
• Dairy nutrition advice: We explained that a 6mm grind would improve intake during hot weather by eliminating sorting. His nutritionist agreed.
• Reference from a customer in Washington: We put him in touch with a dairy in Yakima Valley that had bought an SFSP66*60 from us for orchard grass. They confirmed that the 6mm screen worked well for their summer ration.
• English manual with photos: The photos helped his maintenance team.

A Note on Grinding Orchard Grass for Dairy Cows

A few practical lessons from this installation:

Orchard grass has coarser stems than ryegrass. Throughput is about 1.1 tons per hour on the 6mm screen – lower than ryegrass but acceptable.

The 6mm screen improves summer intake. The 8mm screen leaves some waste that cows sort out. The 6mm screen eliminates sorting.

Dust is moderate. Orchard grass produces more dust than ryegrass. In dry summer conditions, a second filter bag helps.

Hammer wear is moderate. The owner got 400 hours from the first hammer set – typical for orchard grass.

Summer feeding is challenging. Any improvement in feed efficiency during hot weather pays off quickly.

Global Reach of RICHI Hammer Mills

This project in the United States 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 dairy farms because it can handle the coarser stems of orchard grass while maintaining good throughput. The 6mm screen is a standard recommendation for lactating dairy cows.

If You Are Grinding Orchard Grass for Dairy Cows

A few things to consider:

What screen size do your cows need? For lactating dairy cows, 6mm works well. For dry cows, 8mm is fine. For heifers, 6-8mm.

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

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

What is your throughput requirement? The SFSP66*60 grass crusher machine with a 55kW motor can handle 0.9-1.3 tons per hour on a 6mm screen, depending on the variety.

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

If you have orchard grass and dairy cows, a hammer mill with a 6mm screen can improve summer feed intake 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.