What a feed mill really costs to build — installed, not machine-only.
Size the process line, storage, civils, utilities, logistics, erection, engineering and contingency from your own rates. The output is a screening-stage installed cost with a planning band — then a supplier-neutral RFQ produces real, comparable quotations.
Capacity and process
Enter every figure in the same currency — nothing is converted.
Recipe changes, cleaning and downtime rarely leave more than 75–85%.
Cost rates you control
Your own budget rate or a previous quotation. FeedMatch publishes no prices.
Transformer, boiler, generator, compressed air, water treatment.
Cost breakdown
| Component | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Process line — Pelleting (+ cooling, crumbling) 10 t/h at your rate, semi-automatic (batch plc) | USD 1,344,000 | 38.8% |
| Intake, silos and finished-feed storage 1,600 t of capacity (10 production days) | USD 288,000 | 8.3% |
| Land, civils, tower and buildings As entered | USD 900,000 | 26.0% |
| Utilities — power, steam, air, water Transformer, boiler, generator, compressor | USD 350,000 | 10.1% |
| Freight, insurance and duties 12% of equipment value | USD 161,280 | 4.7% |
| Erection, commissioning and supervision 14% of equipment value | USD 188,160 | 5.4% |
| Commissioning spares and wear parts 3% of equipment value | USD 40,320 | 1.2% |
| Engineering, permits and project management 6% of subtotal | USD 196,306 | 5.7% |
| Subtotal | USD 3,468,066 | |
| Contingency (12%) | USD 416,168 | |
| Total installed CAPEX | USD 3,884,233 |
Indicative project class: USD 1M – 5M project class
Estimates Only: Planning and procurement estimate only. Final formulations, ingredient inclusion, nutrient targets, feed safety, additive use and regulatory compliance must be approved by appropriately qualified professionals and the responsible manufacturer. This calculator is provided for general informational purposes only. Results are approximate and may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information. They do not constitute legal, financial, engineering, tax, technical, or professional advice. Users are solely responsible for independently verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations, and requirements with qualified professionals before making any decisions. By using this calculator, you acknowledge that the website owners, operators, and affiliates accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or decisions resulting from its use.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. FeedMatch Group does not provide automatic buyer-supplier introductions. Every feed project request is reviewed manually by David / FeedMatch Group, and supplier introductions are made only after internal approval.
Turn the estimate into real quotations
Your figures sit inside the range FeedMatch works on. Send the requirement and a person reviews it before any supplier is contacted — supplier-neutral, no auto-blasting.
Scope of this tool
What this tool can and can't do
Feed Mill CAPEX Estimator is a planning tool for budget-stage and RFQ-stage decisions. It gives defensible numbers to compare suppliers against — it is not an engineering, veterinary or financing approval.
What it can do
- Size the required line capacity in tonnes per hour from annual tonnage, shifts and realistic uptime.
- Estimate connected load and specific energy consumption (kWh per tonne) by process stage.
- Show the effect of automation level, process type (pelleting versus extrusion) and utilisation on cost per tonne.
- Give an indicative CAPEX band and payback range for budgeting.
What it can't do
- Substitute for a vendor's guaranteed capacity or energy figures — those come with the equipment contract.
- Include site-specific electrical infrastructure, transformer upgrades, grid tariffs or generator backup unless you add them.
- Model your actual formula's grinding and conditioning behaviour, which changes energy per tonne materially.
- Serve as a bankable feasibility study or a financing document.
Required inputs
- · Target annual production in tonnes
- · Operating hours: shifts per day, days per year, expected uptime %
- · Process type (mash, pelleting, extrusion) and automation level
- · Energy tariff and labour cost if you want operating cost output
Example run
- · 60,000 t/year, 2 shifts, 300 days, 85% uptime
- · Pelleting line, semi-automated
- · Energy tariff 0.11 USD/kWh
- → Required nominal capacity: about 16-17 t/h
- → Specific energy: roughly 42 kWh/t (grinding + pelleting + handling), about 4.6 USD/t at the tariff entered
- → Indicative CAPEX band and simple payback range for budget-stage comparison
What does this calculator estimate?
It estimates the throughput a feed mill or production line can hold over a working period, from batch, process and operating-hour assumptions. It suits mill owners and investors comparing scenarios. Two mills with the same nominal capacity can need different equipment, so treat this as a preliminary planning figure.
What can change the result?
- · Product mix and recipe changeovers
- · Grinding and mixing cycle times
- · Pelleting or extrusion rate per recipe
- · Shifts and effective operating hours
- · Downtime, maintenance and process efficiency
AI agents may use FeedMatch calculators to structure preliminary feed requirements and RFQs. Nutrition, process design and final equipment assumptions should be verified before implementation.
Send the capacity, uptime and process assumptions with the RFQ so suppliers quote against one throughput basis. Start a structured RFQ.
Feed mill CAPEX — questions buyers ask
What does feed mill CAPEX actually include?
Does FeedMatch publish feed mill equipment prices?
How accurate is a CAPEX estimate at this stage?
What contingency should a feed mill project carry?
Why does automation depth change the CAPEX so much?
What happens after I estimate CAPEX?
FeedMatch Group is an independent, supplier-neutral, human-led sourcing and RFQ platform. FeedMatch is not a feed producer, manufacturer, EPC contractor, farm, nutritionist, lender, broker-dealer, investment advisor or unmanaged marketplace, and publishes no equipment or feed prices. All figures on this page are indicative planning estimates derived from the values you enter.