A timothy hay hammer mill in Ireland was the solution for a specialty pet food company near Cork that exports rabbit and guinea pig pellets to the UK and continental Europe. Ireland's cool, wet climate is ideal for growing high-quality timothy hay (Phleum pratense).
A timothy hay hammer mill in Ireland was the solution for a specialty pet food company near Cork that exports rabbit and guinea pig pellets to the UK and continental Europe. Ireland's cool, wet climate is ideal for growing high-quality timothy hay (Phleum pratense).
The company we worked with had been sourcing pre-ground timothy from Canada and the United States. The cost was high, and the lead times were long.
The owner decided to buy a hammer mill and process locally grown timothy hay from farms in County Cork and County Kerry. He already had a pellet mill and a mixer from other suppliers. He just needed the hammer mill.
He contacted us after seeing an SFSP mill at a feed plant in Dublin. He asked if our hammer mills could handle timothy hay – which has fine stems, low dust, and is the gold standard for small animal feed.
We said yes, with a 3mm or 4mm screen for rabbits and guinea pigs. He ended up buying an SFSP56*40 hammer mill crusher machine with a 37kW motor. He also ordered 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm screens.
Name:
Country:
Date:
Capacity:
0.6-0.9 tons per hour
Model:
SFSP56*40
Main Motor Power:
37kW
Raw Materials:
timothy hay, ground barley
Final product size:
2-4mm
The Golden Vale region of Ireland (Counties Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary) is known for lush grass growth. Timothy hay is a specialty crop – it requires a long, cool growing season and careful drying.
The company contracts with local farmers to grow timothy on about 120 hectares. The hay is cut in late July, dried in the field for 4-5 days (Irish weather permitting), and baled at 10-12% moisture.
The challenge: rabbits and guinea pigs need very fine particle size – 1-3mm. Larger particles can cause selective feeding (animals eat the fines and leave the larger pieces).
Smaller particles (under 0.5mm) can cause respiratory issues. The company had been buying pre-ground timothy from Canada at €1.20 per kilogram. Processing locally grown timothy would cost about €0.70 per kilogram – a significant saving.
He looked at a British-made hammer mill offered by a dealer in Dublin. The price was €12,000 for a 30kW machine. He looked at a German mill – €14,500 for a 37kW machine.
He found us through a reference from a pet food company in Scotland. Our price, delivered to the port of Cork, was €9,500 for the SFSP56*40 with 37kW motor. That included the mill, the cyclone, and the starter screen set.
The company has a bale breaker for the timothy 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 timothy hay (11% moisture):
The 3mm screen is the sweet spot for small animal feed. The 4mm screen leaves some large pieces that rabbits waste. The 2mm screen creates too much dust.
The mill discharges into a cyclone. The cyclone vent goes into a baghouse filter. Timothy hay is low-dust, but fine grinding creates some fines. The baghouse captures 99% of them – essential for premium pet food quality.
The company produces two pellet products for export:
Rabbit pellets (premium line):
Guinea pig pellets (high vitamin C line):
The owner reported that the pellets are uniform and consistent. Export customers in the UK and Germany say the quality is excellent. Sales have increased by 25% since switching to locally ground timothy.
We spoke with the company owner about a year after delivery. Here is what he told us:
The mill runs about six hours per day, five days per week. We have put about 1,200 hours on it. We changed the hammers at 500 hours – flipped them to the unused side. The 3mm screen is still the original – no holes.
Timothy hay is beautiful to grind. The 3mm screen produces the perfect particle size for our products. The pellets are consistent. Our customers are happy.
The only issue was the weather. Irish summers are wet. Some years, the timothy hay is difficult to dry. We built a covered drying shed. That solved the problem.
Would I buy from RICHI again? Yes. The mill has reduced our costs significantly.
Ireland's main seaport for the southern region is Cork on the south coast. The mill was shipped from Qingdao to Cork – about 35 days at sea. From Cork, the customer arranged truck transport to the company's facility, about 20 kilometers inland. Total transit time was about 42 days.
Pre-sale services that built their confidence
This project in Ireland is one example. RICHI Machinery has exported hammer mills for timothy hay and other premium forages to over 80 countries. The SFSP56*40 is popular for pet food producers because it can achieve the fine grind needed for small animal feed. The 3mm screen is a standard recommendation for rabbit and guinea pig pellets.
If you produce premium small animal feed, a hammer mill with a 3mm screen can turn timothy hay into high-quality pellets. Send us a sample of your timothy hay. 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 has exported hammer mills for forage processing to over 80 countries worldwide.
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