Science-Based Insights into Corn Processing: Elevating Ruminant Nutrition via Animal Feed Processing

In ruminant farming, corn serves as a core energy feed, and its processing directly impacts feed utilization, animal performance, and farming economics. Recent years have seen steam-flaked corn (SFC), dry-ground corn (CGC), and dry-rolled corn (DRC) emerge as key focuses in animal feed processing. Drawing on cutting-edge research and practical data, Ningbo Bellaex has systematically analyzed the technical characteristics and application scenarios of these three processes, offering scientific guidance for farms. This analysis is pivotal for advancing corn processing techniques for ruminant nutrition.
SFC stands out as a gold standard for high-energy diets in animal feed processing. Its production involves sealed steam treatment (100–110℃ for 30–50 minutes) to break down corn’s prolamin structure, fully hydrating starch. Specialized flaking equipment, like Bellaex’s high-efficiency flakers, then rolls it into 1.0–2.0mm flakes, achieving a starch gelatinization degree of 65–85% and a bulk density of 320–360g/L. The benefits are clear: total tract starch digestibility exceeds 95%, 10–25% higher than traditional methods; net energy for gain (NEg) reaches 1.75 Mcal/kg, 18% higher than CGC, boosting microbial protein synthesis. It also reduces rumen acidosis risk by 40–60%, making it ideal for large-scale farms and high-energy feed needs, such as fattening cattle and high-yield dairy cows.
For cost-sensitive operations, CGC offers a pragmatic choice in animal feed processing. It uses hammer mills or roller mills for direct grinding, with particle sizes of 0.5–2.0mm, requiring no heat treatment. Its energy consumption is only 30–40% of SFC, lowering equipment and operational costs—suitable for small to medium farms and diets with ≤40% corn. However, its starch gelatinization degree is <20%, with rumen digestibility at 70–85%, needing supplements like physically effective fiber (peNDF) and degradable intake protein (DIP).
DRC, a transitional process in animal feed processing, involves crushing corn into 2–4mm coarse particles (bulk density 550–650g/L) via double-roller mills, with starch gelatinization <10%. Its energy efficiency lags: NEg is 15–20% lower than SFC, with beef cattle average daily gain (ADG) at only 1.09kg/day. By 2025, its usage in large-scale farming has dropped below 15%, gradually replaced by SFC, finding use mainly in small farms with annual corn usage <5000 tons.
A comparison highlights SFC’s superiority: >95% starch digestibility, high NEg, 25–30% ADG improvement, and low acidosis risk. CGC shows moderate results, while DRC lags. This underscores how advanced animal feed processing directly influences farming efficiency.
Industry trends favor SFC for its energy conversion and rumen health benefits. Bellaex’s intelligent SFC solutions monitor fecal starch (target 2–3%) and rumen pH to optimize flake density, enabling precise nutrition control. For high-moisture corn, their pre-treatment technologies enhance DRC’s applicability, promoting circular economy in feed.
Ningbo Bellaex specializes in animal feed processing equipment and solutions, with steam flaking units and grinding equipment used globally. Backed by decades of expertise, it offers full support from process design to production debugging, helping farms cut costs and boost efficiency.