In this study a designed and fabricated single screw pelleting machine was evaluated for the production of poultry litter pellets. The design of the components (hopper, barrel, screw auger, dies) of the poultry litter pelleter was done using standard engineering procedures. The poultry litter obtained from a local farm was air-dried, milled and rewetted to the moisture content required for the experiment. Performance evaluation of the machine was carried out in terms of efficiency and throughput capacity. Prepared samples of the poultry litter at different moisture contents (40.5, 42.5, 44.5% wb) were fed through the hopper for pelletizing at different operational speeds (210, 250, 290 rpm), die sizes (4, 6, 8 mm) and feed rates (80, 100, 120 kg/hr). The machine gave a maximum throughput capacity of 66.40 kg/hr with maximum pelletizing efficiency of 96.83%. The adoption of the pelleting machine would help to combat pollution and disposal challenges associated with poultry waste.

Keywords: Poultry litter, Pelleting, Efficiency, Throughput Capacity, Moisture Content, Pellet