Horse Manure Pellet Machine

There are many kinds of raw materials needed to process horse manure fertilizer pellets, and different regions will use different formulas according to resource endowments and agricultural needs.

The following is a summary of raw materials used for horse manure fertilizer pellet machine and pellet processing worldwide and a detailed explanation of their functions, covering natural organic matter, industrial by-products and functional additives.

1. Basic raw materials: horse manure and its characteristics

Horse manure is the core raw material for processing fertilizer pellets, but its direct use has limitations:

• High moisture (60%~70%): dehydration or mixed drying auxiliary materials are required.
• Low carbon-nitrogen ratio (C/N 20~25:1): high-carbon materials (such as straw) need to be supplemented to balance fermentation.
• High fiber content: contains undigested grass, which may affect pellet formation and needs to be crushed or adjusted.

Global differences:

• Europe and the United States: Horse manure is often mixed with bedding (sawdust, straw), with a higher C/N (30~40:1), which is more suitable for direct composting.
• Asia/Africa: Pure horse manure is more common, and additional conditioning agents need to be added.

2. Auxiliary material classification and global application

（1）Carbon source regulating material

Used to improve the carbon-nitrogen ratio, improve fermentation efficiency and particle structure:

• Straw (wheat, rice, corn straw): universally used, C/N 60~100:1, increase porosity, suitable for mechanized harvesting areas (such as North China, Midwest United States).
• Wood chips/sawdust: C/N 200~500:1, slow-release carbon source, widely used in forestry-rich areas such as Northern Europe and Canada.
• Rice husk: commonly used in Asian rice producing areas (India, Southeast Asia), C/N 70~100:1, strong wear resistance, improve particle hardness.
• Coconut bran: water-retaining material in tropical areas (Philippines, Sri Lanka), C/N about 80:1, suitable for horticultural fertilizer.
• Sugarcane bagasse: Brazil, India and other sugarcane producing areas use its fiber properties, C/N 100~150:1.

（2）Nitrogen source supplement materials

Used to balance nutrients or accelerate fermentation:

• Poultry & livestock manure (chicken manure, sheep manure): high nitrogen content (chicken manure 2.5%~4%), often used as mixed compost in small farms in Africa and South America.
• Soybean meal/rapeseed cake: organic nitrogen source (4%~7%), preferred by organic agriculture in Europe and the United States, good slow-release effect.
• Industrial urea: used for rapid nitrogen supplementation in developing countries (such as India), but the amount needs to be controlled to avoid burning seedlings.
• Blood meal/fish meal: high protein nitrogen source (10%~12%), fishery countries such as Japan and Norway use by-products.

（3）Microbial agents

Accelerate decomposition and reduce pathogens:

• EM bacteria (effective microbial community): Japanese technology, global promotion, suitable for high temperature and high humidity areas (such as Southeast Asia).
• Bacillus subtilis: commonly used in China and India, resistant to high temperatures, and has strong ability to decompose cellulose.
• Fungal agents (such as Trichoderma): used in European organic farms to suppress soil-borne diseases.

（4）Mineral additives

Adjust pH or supplement trace elements:

• Phosphate rock powder: directly added in Africa (Morocco) and South America (Peru), slow-release phosphorus source.
• Bentonite/zeolite: used as a binder and water retainer in the Middle East (Turkey) and North America.
• Plant ash: traditional African agriculture provides potassium and regulates pH.

（5）Functional additives

• Humic acid: extracted from lignite in Russia and Northeast China to enhance fertilizer efficiency.
• Seaweed extract: used in coastal areas of Ireland and Chile to stimulate plant growth.
• Biochar: Amazon black soil technology is revived, and European and American environmental protection projects promote carbon fixation.

Processing horse manure fertilizer granules and powder is an effective way to convert organic waste into high-efficiency fertilizer, suitable for agriculture and horticulture. The following are detailed processing steps and technical points:

Basic process of horse manure fertilizer processing：

（1） Raw material collection and pretreatment

• Collect horse manure: Select fresh or semi-decomposed horse manure to avoid mixing with impurities such as plastic and stones.
• Adjust moisture: The initial moisture content of horse manure is usually high (60%~70%), and it is necessary to reduce the moisture to about 50% by drying or adding dry auxiliary materials (such as straw powder, sawdust) to facilitate subsequent fermentation.

（2）Fermentation and decomposition (key step)

Composting fermentation:

• Mix horse manure with conditioners (such as straw, rice husks, and fungus bran) in proportion (usually 3:1), and adjust the carbon-nitrogen ratio (C/N) to 25~30:1.
• Add fermentation agents (such as EM bacteria and Bacillus subtilis) to accelerate decomposition, pile up 1~1.5 meters high, and cover with breathable film.
• Turn the pile regularly (once every 3-5 days) to ensure ventilation, and keep the temperature at 50-65℃ for 15-30 days until it is odorless, dark brown and loose.
• Detection of maturity: After fermentation, the pH value should be stable at 6.5-8.0, without pathogens and weed seeds.

（3）Drying and crushing

• Drying/drying: Spread the decomposed horse manure or use a drum dryer (temperature ≤80℃) to reduce the moisture to 10%-15%.
• Crushing: Use a hammer mill or semi-wet material crusher to grind the dried horse manure into fine powder (powdered fertilizer can be directly packaged to this step).

（4）Granulation (for granular fertilizer)

• Mixing formula: Add nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or trace elements as needed (such as making organic-inorganic compound fertilizer).
• Granulation method: Use a ring die horse manure granulator to directly press into granules without drying. If you need to process round pellets, you can configure another rounding machine.
• Drying and cooling: After granulation, it needs to be dried at low temperature (≤60℃) and cooled to room temperature to prevent agglomeration.

（5）Screening and packaging

• Screen out qualified granules (usually 2~6mm), and the powder is reworked and granulated.
• Moisture-proof during packaging, mark the organic matter content (≥30%), NPK ratio, etc.

The key points of processing horse manure fuel pellets are as follows:

Raw material pretreatment

• Quick drying: Use a dryer to reduce the moisture content of fresh horse manure to 12%~15% (drying in the sun can easily cause mildew).
• Fiber adjustment: If the calorific value of horse manure is insufficient, 20%~30% sawdust or chopped straw can be mixed (to improve combustibility).

Pellet molding

• High-pressure extrusion: Use a ring die horse manure pellet machine (die hole diameter 6~8mm), and the compression ratio is recommended to be 1:6~1:8 to ensure that the pellets are dense and not easy to break.
• No binder is required: lignin in horse manure naturally bonds under high temperature and high pressure (if the molding is poor, a small amount of starch binder can be added).

Subsequent processing

• Cooling and dehumidification: Use a cooler to cool down immediately after discharging to prevent the pellets from absorbing moisture and becoming loose.
• Screening and packaging: Remove the fragments and seal the moisture-proof packaging (fuel pellets are prone to powderization after absorbing moisture).

Yes! Our horse manure pellet machine can process both horse manure fertilizer pellets and horse manure fuel pellets, but the process and equipment configuration need to be adjusted according to the characteristics of the fuel pellets.

The following are several typical horse manure fertilizer granule formulas, covering different agricultural needs (organic planting, quick-acting fertilizer, soil improvement, etc.) and regional resource characteristics, for reference:

1. Basic organic fertilizer formula

Applicable: ordinary field crops (wheat, corn, etc.)

Formula:

• Composted horse manure (60%)
• Crushed straw (20%)
• Rice husk/sawdust (15%)
• Phosphate rock powder (3%)
• Humic acid (2%)

Features:

• Balanced carbon-nitrogen ratio (~25:1), slow-release nutrients;
• Phosphate rock powder supplements long-acting phosphorus, and humic acid enhances water retention.

2. High nitrogen quick-acting fertilizer formula

Applicable to: leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce) or topdressing

Formula:

• Mature horse manure (50%)
• Chicken manure (20%)
• Soybean meal/rapeseed cake (15%)
• Urea (5%)
• Bentonite (10%, binder)

Features:

• Nitrogen content>3%, rapid release;
• Bentonite prevents particles from breaking apart, suitable for mechanized application.

3. Special formula for orchards

Applicable to: fruit trees (apples, citrus, etc.)

Formula:

• Mature horse manure (40%)
• Coconut bran/bagasse (30%, adjust air permeability)
• Wood ash (15%, potassium supplement)
• Bone meal (10%, phosphorus and calcium supplement)
• Bacillus subtilis agent (5%)

Features:

• High potassium and calcium, promote fruit quality;
• Microorganisms inhibit soil-borne diseases.

4. Organic-inorganic compound formula

Applicable: economic crops (tomatoes, peppers)

Formula:

• Compost horse manure (50%)
• Humic acid (10%)
• Potassium sulfate (15%, chemical potassium source)
• Superphosphate (10%, chemical phosphorus source)
• Zeolite powder (15%, slow-release carrier)

Features:

• Organic and inorganic combination, fast and lasting fertilizer effect;
• Zeolite reduces nutrient loss.

5. Improved saline-alkali land formula

Applicable: salinized soil areas

Formula:

• Mature horse manure (50%)
• Biochar (20%, salt absorption)
• Gypsum powder (15%, sodium ion replacement)
• Mushroom bran (10%, microbial carrier)
• Sulfur (5%, pH adjustment)

Features:

• Biochar improves soil structure and reduces conductivity;
• Suitable for arid areas such as Northwest China and the Middle East.

6. Tropical gardening formula

Applicable to: potted flowers/tropical crops (bananas, coffee)

Formula:

• Mature horse manure (40%)
• Coconut bran (30%)
• Earthworm manure (15%)
• Seaweed powder (10%)
• Trace elements (5%, iron, zinc, etc.)

Features:

• Water-retaining and breathable, preventing root rot in tropical rainy season;
• Seaweed powder promotes root growth and resistance to adversity.

7. European organic certification formula

Applicable to: EU standard organic farms

Formula:

• Mature horse manure (60%)
• Wheat bran (20%)
• Algae calcium (10%)
• Rock powder (5%, trace elements)
• Trichoderma agent (5%)

Features:

• All-natural raw materials, no chemical additives;
• Rock powder slowly releases minerals.

8. Low-cost home composting formula

Applicable to: small farmers/home gardening

Formula:

• Horse manure (70%)
• Kitchen waste (20%, vegetable leaves and fruit peels)
• Ashes (10%)
• Homemade EM bacteria solution (spraying)

Features:

• Use domestic waste, fermentation cycle is about 2 months;
• Ashes replenish potassium and repel insects.

Fertilizer pellets made from different livestock and poultry manure have their own characteristics. Their fertilizer efficiency and applicability mainly depend on the characteristics of the raw materials, nutrient content, difficulty of decomposition and specific application scenarios. The following is a comprehensive analysis:

1. Horse manure pellets

Features:

• The carbon-nitrogen ratio is moderate (20~25:1), the decomposition speed is medium, and it is suitable for composting.
• High fiber content (including undigested grass), can improve soil permeability, suitable for heavy clay soil.
• Balanced nutrients (N 0.3%~0.8%, P 0.2%~0.5%, K 0.5%~1%), suitable for field crops and fruit trees.
• Best uses: soil improvement, orchard base fertilizer, greenhouse cultivation (after decomposition).

2. Chicken manure pellets

Features:

• The highest nitrogen content (2.5%~4%), fast fertilizer effect, but easy to burn seedlings, must be fully decomposed.
• Rich in phosphorus (1.5%~3%), suitable for flowering and fruiting crops (such as tomatoes and melons).
• Easy to carry pathogens, need high temperature fermentation or add bacterial agent treatment.
• Best use: cash crop topdressing, leafy vegetable quick-acting fertilizer (need to control the amount).

3. Cow dung pellets

Features:

• High carbon-nitrogen ratio (30~40:1), slow decomposition, but high organic matter content (60%~70%).
• Low nutrients (N 0.3%~0.6%), but strong water and fertilizer retention capacity.
• Fine fiber, suitable for direct return to the field or making biological organic fertilizer.
• Best use: long-term soil improvement, forage planting, organic farm base fertilizer.

4. Sheep dung pellets

Features:

• Balanced and concentrated nutrients (N 0.7%~1.5%, P 0.5%~1%, K 0.8%~1.5%), better fertilizer effect than cow dung.
• Good particle structure, easy to granulate, no odor after decomposition.
• Thermal fertilizer, high fermentation temperature, can kill some weed seeds
• Best use: high-end fruits and vegetables (strawberries, grapes), flower seedlings, organic planting.

5. Pig manure pellets

Features:

• High nitrogen and phosphorus (N 0.5%~1.5%, P 0.4%~1.2%), but low potassium.
• High water content, need to be mixed with straw or sawdust for adjustment.
• Easy to acidify the soil, long-term use requires lime to adjust pH.
• Best use: short-term crops (leafy vegetables), rice fields (application after anaerobic fermentation).

Comprehensive comparison and recommendation

• Quickness: chicken manure > sheep manure > pig manure > horse manure > cow manure
• Improving soil: cow manure > horse manure > sheep manure > pig manure > chicken manure
• Safety: sheep manure > horse manure > cow manure > pig manure > chicken manure (increasing difficulty of decomposition)
• Economic efficiency: cow manure > pig manure > horse manure > sheep manure > chicken manure (calculated by unit nutrient cost)

Based on our current experience, we can provide you with 5 key success factors:

1. Raw material control:

Ensure a stable supply of horse manure (sign with horse farms within 10 kilometers).

2. Composting process:

Use trough fermentation + compost turning machine (twice as fast as traditional composting).

3. Differentiated positioning:

Track selection: Avoid the red ocean market (such as ordinary compound fertilizers), focus on:

Golf courses/organic farms and other high-end customers

Special functional fertilizers (such as anti-re-cropping bacterial fertilizers)

4. Policy utilization:

For example, China: agricultural waste treatment subsidies (each project has a subsidy of at least 70,000 US dollars)

EU: organic agriculture subsidies (110~300 euros per hectare)

5. Light asset model:

Only do processing (charge processing fees)

Equipment leasing and sharing (serve surrounding small farms)

Whether investing in horse manure pellet machines and production lines is suitable for you depends on your resource conditions, market demand and business model. The following is an analysis of several groups suitable for investment and their profit models:

1. Large-scale farms (horse farms, cattle farms, sheep farms, etc.)

Advantages: Own manure sources, raw material costs are almost zero, and only processing costs need to be dealt with.

Profit model:

Convert fecal pollution into commercial fertilizer to avoid environmental fines.

Government subsidies (such as organic fertilizer production subsidies, circular economy funds).

2. Organic fertilizer processing companies

Advantages: Existing sales channels, only need to increase the category of horse manure pellets.

Profit model:

Customized high-end pellet fertilizers (such as special fertilizers for golf courses, with a premium of more than 30%).

Sign a long-term supply agreement with the farm (such as an organic strawberry base).

3. Agricultural cooperatives/family farm clusters

Advantages: Concentrate members' manure resources and reduce the investment pressure of a single farm.

Profit model:

Self-production and self-use reduce fertilizer costs (saving 200~400 yuan per acres).

Regional brand sales (such as "grassland ecological horse manure fertilizer").

4. Environmental engineering company

Advantage: Undertake government manure treatment projects, and equipment can be reused.

Profit model:

BOT model (build-operate-transfer) to treat municipal horse manure.

Carbon trading income (0.5~1 ton of CO₂ equivalent per ton of treatment).

5. Gardening substrate supplier

Advantage: Horse manure fiber is suitable for potted substrate, extending the industrial chain.

Profit model:

Mixed with coconut bran and perlite to make high-priced seedling substrate (doubling profits).

6. Overseas emerging market investors

Key areas:

Middle East (desert improvement needs, government high-priced procurement)

Southeast Asia (vigorous tropical crop planting)

Key: Need to adapt to local manure characteristics (such as mixed processing of camel manure).

The horse manure pellet machine is mainly used to press the fermented horse manure into pellets for easy storage, transportation and application. The mainstream horse manure pelleting equipment on the market is mainly divided into the following types:

1. Ring die pellet machine (mainstream model)

Working principle: The horse manure raw material is forced into the die hole of the ring die, extruded by a rotating roller, and then cut into pellets by a cutter.

Applicable raw materials: decomposed horse manure (water content 12%~18%), organic fertilizer mixed with straw/wood chips.

Advantages:

• High output (1~10 tons/hour, our large machines can reach more than 20 tons)
• High particle density (1.0~1.3 g/cm³), not easy to break
• Strong adaptability, adjustable die aperture (3~10mm)
• Global mainstream model, mature technology, low maintenance cost

2. Flat die horse manure pellet machine (small application)

Working principle: The roller rolls on the flat plate to squeeze the material through the die hole to form.

Applicable raw materials: small-scale production (family farms, test lines), high moisture requirements (15%~25%).

Disadvantages:

• Low output (0.1~1 ton/hour)
• Loose and fragile particles, not suitable for long-distance transportation
• Fast wear, short life for long-term processing of horse manure

3. Double roller extrusion granulator (low-density particles)

Working principle: Two rollers squeeze wet materials to form irregular particles (similar to "coal balls").

Applicable raw materials: high-moisture horse manure (30%~40%), no drying required.

Disadvantages:

• Low particle strength, easy to pulverize
• Mainly used for primary processing of organic fertilizer, not suitable for commercial sales

4. Centrifugal rounding granulator (spherical particles)

Working principle: The wet material rolls into balls in a rotating disk, and then dries and solidifies.

Applicable raw materials: horse manure + clay/bentonite mixture, used for high-end horticultural fertilizer.

Disadvantages:

• High energy consumption, additional drying required
• Low output, mainly used for special fertilizers

From the above content, we can see that:

• If you are a large-scale farm or organic fertilizer plant, the ring die horse manure pellet machine is the best choice.
• If it is a small-scale test, you can try the flat die machine first, but long-term production still needs to upgrade the ring die equipment.
• Roller machines and rounding machines are only suitable for special needs and are not suitable for mainstream horse manure fertilizer production. Even for special needs, the ring die horse manure pellet machine is also suitable.

If you need a specific model recommendation, please provide your daily output, raw material characteristics (moisture, fiber content) and budget, and we can customize the plan!

1. Mature technology and high market recognition

Ring die machines have been used in the feed and fertilizer industry since the 1950s. After long-term optimization, they have become standard equipment for organic fertilizer granulation.

Ring die horse manure pellet machines are widely used in large fertilizer plants, farms and environmental protection projects around the world, forming an industry inertia.

2. Strong adaptability and can process a variety of raw materials

Ring die machines can adapt to a variety of organic fertilizer raw materials such as horse manure, chicken manure, and cow manure by replacing molds (different apertures and compression ratios).

Flat die machines and roller machines have strict requirements on the moisture and fiber content of raw materials, while ring die machines have a wider adjustment range.

3. The best pellet quality is suitable for commercialization

The pellets produced by the ring die horse manure pellet making machine have high density and good hardness, are not easy to break during long-distance transportation, and meet the standards of commercial fertilizers.

The pellets of flat die machines and roller machines are loose and are only suitable for self-use or short-distance sales.

4. Large-scale production, lower cost

The unit energy consumption of large-scale ring die horse manure pelletizing machines (3-10 tons per hour) is more than 30% lower than that of flat die machines, which is suitable for industrial production.

Well-known brands (such as Kahl in Germany, CPM in the United States, RICHI MACHINERY in China) focus on high-end ring die machines with higher profit margins.

5. Easy maintenance and long-term stable operation

The ring die and pressure roller are made of alloy steel/tungsten carbide, which are highly wear-resistant and the replacement cost is controllable.

Flat die machines wear quickly, and roller machines are complicated to maintain, which are not suitable for continuous production.

World-renowned manufacturers only make ring die horse manure pellet machines because they have the most mature technology, the best pellet quality, strong adaptability, and are suitable for large-scale commercial production.