How to Make Pellet Bird Food
Pellet-based bird feed nourishes farm and domesticated birds such as chickens, cockatiels and parrots with high concentrations of multiple ingredients and nutrients. You can make pellet food at home from grasses, grains, vegetables and other self-grown organic matter. Creating pellets that are stable and noncrumbly requires the use of a high-pressure pellet press. New small pellet presses are available from wood or feed pellet-making suppliers, or you can look for used presses on online marketplaces.
Research what kinds of foods, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential for the optimal health of the type of bird you are feeding.
Collect the necessary pellet ingredients. Common ingredients include shelled corn, roasted soybeans, wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa, oats, wheat germ, fruits and vegetables.
- Pellet-based bird feed nourishes farm and domesticated birds such as chickens, cockatiels and parrots with high concentrations of multiple ingredients and nutrients.
Place the ingredients in a food processor. Add any necessary vitamin supplements beneficial for the particular type of bird as discovered in the research conducted in Step 1, such as calcium, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin E or vitamin B12.
Add approximately 1 tbsp. of a natural preservative per 16 oz. of pellet ingredients. Types of natural preservatives include rosemary extract, salt and citrus peel extract.
Process the desired pellet ingredients into powder form in a food processor.
- Place the ingredients in a food processor.
- Process the desired pellet ingredients into powder form in a food processor.
Place the powder into the hopper of a pellet press. Set the pressure setting to high and run the powder through the press. Pellets are extruded and cut from a pellet die.
Make Pellet Fuel Out Of Paper
Pellet stoves are heating devices that replace or supplement furnaces and wood-burning stoves. They are a newer technology invented to attempt to find a solution to the problem of fossil fuel dependency. The fuel is compacted from sawdust, leaves and other biomass such as crop waste or recycled paper. The pellets are sold in stores, but you can also buy a pellet mill and make your own. Using recycled paper for pellets is also effective in reducing landfill waste. Collect the paper to make into pellets. Turn on the hammer mill, and slowly feed the paper pieces into the hopper. Place a bucket below the chute of the pellet mill. Repeat this procedure periodically to use all your recycled paper.
- Place the powder into the hopper of a pellet press.
- Place a bucket below the chute of the pellet mill.
Tip
Keep pellets fresh by storing them in an airtight, opaque bin in a cool, dry location.
Related Articles
References
- Food Additives: Preserving Food With Natural Food Preservatives
- La Meccanica: Pellet Mill Operation
- Avian Aqua Miser: How to Store Chicken Feed
- US Department of Energy: Wood and Pellet Heating
- YouTube: Make Free Wood Pellets from Recycled Junk Mail to Run Your Pellet Stove
- World Forest Industries: Making Wood Pellets
Tips
- Keep pellets fresh by storing them in an airtight, opaque bin in a cool, dry location.
Writer Bio
Mason Howard is an artist and writer in Minneapolis. Howard's work has been published in the "Creative Quarterly Journal of Art & Design" and "New American Paintings." He has also written for art exhibition catalogs and publications. Howard's recent writing includes covering popular culture, home improvement, cooking, health and fitness. He received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota.
