Feed Pellet Machine Guide: Size, Power and Price
To choose a feed pellet machine, start with how many pounds of feed you need per hour, pick the power source your farm already has, and then match the die to your animals. Most small and mid-size farms do well with a flat die pellet mill. Ring die mills make sense once you run many hours a day. This guide walks through each decision and compares the feed models in our catalog with their current prices.
If you are still working on the ration itself, start with our guide on how to make animal feed pellets, then come back here to pick the machine.
Step 1: Work out the pounds per hour
Two numbers decide the size:
Feed per week, in pounds, for all the animals you will feed pellets.
Hours per week you are willing to run the mill.
Divide the first by the second, then add about 25% so you are not running the machine at its limit. For example, 2,000 lb of feed a week, made in 5 hours, needs 400 lb per hour. With the margin, look for a machine rated around 500 lb per hour.
The outputs on our product pages are for feed under good conditions. Fibrous ingredients, damp mash and small dies all lower the real number. Our capacity guide explains the math in more detail.
Step 2: Choose the power source
Your farm | Machine type | Model letter |
|---|---|---|
Grid power, simple controls | Electric flat die mill with a basic panel | B |
Grid power, larger motor run daily | Electric flat die mill with a star-delta panel | C |
A tractor with a free PTO | PTO flat die mill | P |
Diesel or gasoline engine | Sold outside the U.S. and Canada only | A |
Fibrous or hard-to-bind mixes | Rotating roller flat die mill | RB |
Many hours a day, steady output | Ring die mill | MKRD |
The letters are explained in what A, B, C, P and RB mean. Check the motor voltage and phase on the product page before you buy, and have an electrician confirm your supply.
Our diesel and gasoline models, letter A, are sold outside the U.S. and Canada only, so the table below leaves them out. Without grid power, a PTO mill on your tractor is the option.
Step 3: Compare feed models
Prices at the time of writing, November 2026. Outputs are feed figures from each product page, and real output varies with your material.
Model | Power | Feed output | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
MKFD120B electric | 3 HP | Up to 88 lb/hr | $2,024 |
MKFD150C electric | 5.5 kW | Up to 330 lb/hr | $2,783 |
MKFD200B electric | 7.5 kW | Up to 485 lb/hr | $3,142 |
MKFD230B electric | 11 kW | Up to 660 lb/hr | $4,457 |
MKFD300B electric | 22 kW | Up to 1,320 lb/hr | $7,045 |
MKFD150P PTO | 8 HP tractor | Up to 264 lb/hr | $1,864 |
MKFD200P PTO | Tractor PTO | Up to 440 lb/hr | $3,042 |
MKFD230P PTO | 22 HP tractor | Up to 880 lb/hr | $3,853 |
MKFD260P PTO | 30 HP tractor | 600 to 1,300 lb/hr | $5,377 |
MKFD200RB rotating roller | 15 kW | Up to 880 lb/hr | $4,976 |
MKRD250C-W ring die | 22 kW | 1,100 to 1,760 lb/hr | $19,654 |
See all models in our flat die pellet mills, rotating roller mills and ring die mills. Domestic shipping starts at $399, and current prices are always on the product page.
Step 4: Match the die to your animals
Die hole size changes how the animals eat the pellet and how durable it is. A common rule of thumb:
Animal | Die hole |
|---|---|
Poultry, rabbits, small stock | 3 to 4 mm |
Sheep, goats, pigs | 6 mm |
Cattle, horses, deer | 8 mm and up |
Chicks | Make a small pellet and crush it into crumbles |
Our flat die mills ship with a 6 mm die, and optional dies run from 2.5 mm to 10 mm. Smaller holes make firmer pellets but lower the output per hour, so size the machine with the die you will use most.
Step 5: Plan the machines around the mill
A pellet mill only presses. A working feed line also needs:
A hammer mill to grind grain and forage finer than the die holes. The compact MKH158B handles 220 to 440 lb/hr of grain, straw and biomass. Larger models are in our hammer mills.
A mixer so the premix and minerals are spread evenly through each batch.
Cooling and screening. Hot pellets are soft until they cool. Small batches can cool on a screen. Continuous runs need a contraflow cooler.
Conveying if you run several machines in a row, with screw conveyors between steps.
Common mistakes
Buying for the best-case output. The figure on the page is for easy material. Leave margin.
Skipping the grinder. Coarse mash blocks the die and makes crumbly pellets.
Choosing power you do not have. A three-phase motor will not run on a single-phase farm supply without a converter.
Ignoring the ration. A good machine cannot fix an unbalanced formula. Have a nutritionist or your extension office check it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best feed pellet machine for a small farm? For a few hundred pounds a week, a small electric or PTO flat die mill is usually enough. Size it with the pounds-per-hour math above rather than by the number of animals.
Can a feed pellet machine also make wood pellets? Yes, flat die mills press both, with a thorough cleanout between jobs. Never run manure or fertilizer through a mill you use for feed.
Do I need steam to make feed pellets? Commercial feed mills use steam, but farm flat die mills work with friction heat. Grind finer and adjust moisture in small steps. Our feed pellet guide covers this.
Electric or PTO? Use what you already have. If you own a tractor with enough PTO horsepower, a PTO mill usually costs less than an electric one of the same size, and it works where there is no grid power.
Can I sell the feed I make? Feed sold to others is regulated by each state. Our feed pellet guide lists the U.S. rules to check first.
Get help choosing
USA Pellet Mill machines ship from Opa-locka, Florida. Tell us your animals, pounds per week and available power, and we will help you pick the mill and the machines around it. See what to prepare for a quote.
