The Barn
Freesteading group focused on the discussion of livestock.
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Grain Mill For Animal Feed
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Grain Mill For Animal Feed
Hello everyone!!
Need some input on a grain mill. We have a hand mill for our own use for grains and flours but we have not decided on what to get to grind some animal feed. We don’t really want to run through the less desirable corn through our home unit but want something good enough to crack corn and such for animals.
Can anyone make a good recommendation on what might suit our needs? I see all kinds of cheap ones on Amazon but not sure how they would hold up for long term use and such. I have been trying to keep my eyes open for the old vintage type table grinders but have yet to find one.
Hand crank is preffered as well as something that will last a good while anyway. I thought about the roller type brewing mills. The end product is animal feed so uniformity is not a big concern…just something to crack some corn ect.
Let me know what you all are using or would suggest me looking into! I am a very handy person so even building something is totally on the table. Completely open to hear your wisdom!!
Thank you all in advance.
Blessings,
A Fellow Homesteader
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11 Replies
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I don’t think he has it for sale yet because he just revealed his proof of concept. But check out Justin Metcalf from Metcalf Mills on YouTube. He may also be best person to ask for anything milk related
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I will check him out, thank you!
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medcalf mills on youtube is your man
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I will check him out! Thank you!
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We are also interested in the solution for cracking corn for our chickens. We have used a hand grain mill, it mills it too fine. Even used a old cast iron hand cracked meat grinder, it plucked up the screen.
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My thoughts this far have been the following.
1. We have a wondermill JR with the stainless wheels. This would work to crack the corn. It wouldn’t maybe be the best but there would be some adjustment with the wheels. However I do agree it would most likely be to fine. I have not tried it yet to know.
2. The used to make cast iron table top corn mills. However this to me seems about like the same outcome of my wondermill.
3. They make those brewery mills with two rollers that people use to crush small grains. I have wondered if something like that would be good enough to crack the corn.
4. I have considered trying to make a roller style mill out of steel pipe and bearings similarly to a brewing mill just perhaps a touch heavier duty for corn cracking. It would seem to me you would want the minimum amount of grinding/cracking action as possible without letting corn fall through the machine. In my mind a x2 or x2 break in a corn kernel would be the goal to go for.
Still ar the thinking and pondering drawing board.
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You never said what animals nor how many. This is a picture of the “hammer mill” that my dad and I used for 30+ years to grind ear corn to fed 20-25 calves. It was powered by a flat belt from the pulley on the John Deere tractor. Thy are also made with a pto drive.
They are excellent grinders and ours was still in good repair when I sold it.
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Folks around here run corn through a chipper/shredder.
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Over here to, the plants that is.
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I think they slow the speed down and pour in whole corn and then feed turkeys and chickens
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The whole corn I feed crushed, for the best digestion.
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