Swedish farmers build private feed mill to provide control over feed and raw materials

Three chicken producers in the Swedish region of Skaraborg are now building their own feed mill.

SKIOLD has been involved in the project from an early stage and is supplying important parts of the facility, which is expected to be completed in March 2027.

For Daniel Indebetou, who is one of the producers behind the feed mill, the investment of around SEK 50 million is about creating better profitability, using the grain they grow themselves, and being able to adapt the feed to the chickens’ needs.

Daniel Indebetou runs the Lilla Solberga farm outside the town Hjo and produces around 1.7 million chickens per year. Together with Jens Björck and Carl-Gustaf Indebetou, who all have their farms within a distance of around 10 kilometres, he is now investing in joint feed production.

The idea of producing their own feed has been around for some time, but initially the three of them considered separate solutions. However, the volumes were then too small to achieve a sufficiently good financial calculation.

– When we started calculating what it would look like if we did it together, the profitability became considerably better, says Daniel Indebetou, who will have the new mill located on his farm.

Increased control

The aim is to grow at least half of the wheat needed for the feed themselves and buy the rest. Crops such as rapeseed, barley, triticale and protein crops such as peas and field beans will also be used in production. A trial with soybean cultivation is also planned to begin in spring of 2027.

– The idea is that almost everything we grow will go into the mill. When more of the grain can be used directly in feed production, we also avoid the costs that arise when grain is first transported away and finished feed is then transported back, says Daniel Indebetou.

In addition to reduced sensitivity to increases in grain prices and lower transport costs, Daniel Indebetou also highlights improved preparedness in case something should happen at the Swedish feed mills.

Fine-tuning the feed

For the three farmers, the ability to adapt the feed themselves is also an important part of the investment.

– Some animals grow too quickly and others too slowly. If, for example, we need a more nutrient-dense feed, we can produce a more powerful feed quickly instead of waiting for feed from a manufacturer. Having our own mill will make things more flexible, and we can adapt the feed more closely to the animals, says Daniel Indebetou.

With their own production, they will also gain better control over the raw materials used. For example, the energy content can be measured.

– We know exactly which raw materials we are putting in, and we therefore hope to be able to improve the quality. Quite simply, we want to be able to produce a better feed than the one we buy, because feed in particular is very important in chicken production, says Daniel Indebetou.

Expertise to rely on

The contact with SKIOLD began when Daniel Indebetou met Pär Norström, salesperson at SKIOLD, at the Elmia trade fair in Sweden. SKIOLD Sweden will also be present at the fair this year when it takes place on 14–16 October.

Following the initial discussions, the farmers, together with SKIOLD, visited facilities in Romania because there are few feed mills of this size in the Nordic region. The visit to Romania inspired Daniel, Jens and Carl-Gustaf to take the next step in the investment.

– SKIOLD’s expertise and service have been important here, since we have not worked with this before. It feels very good, and it will be exciting to get started in the spring, says Daniel Indebetou.

Unique project in Sweden

SKIOLD is also looking forward to the new mill, which will produce 18,000 tons of chicken feed per year, being put into operation. It is very unusual for Swedish chicken producers to invest in their own mill; today, there is only one other example in the country.

– Since our first meeting around two years ago, we have arrived at a well-designed solution that enables the production of high-quality feed for each age group, with optimized use of their own raw materials and full traceability in both directions, says Pär Norström.

Cooperation across national borders

For the new feed mill outside Hjo, SKIOLD is supplying a complete solution for large parts of the feed process, from handling and pre-grinding of the raw materials to dosing, mixing, pelleting and control. One of the key components is SKIOLD’s SK10T disc mill. Unlike a solution in which all ingredients are treated in the same way, the distance between the mill’s discs can be adjusted, thereby allowing the grinding degree to be adapted. Different raw materials and feed mixtures can therefore be given different structures.

The planned facility also includes, for example, SKIOLD’s system for dosing premixes and additives, as well as FlexMix Pro for process control.

– With SKIOLD’s expertise behind us and support from our project department in Denmark, I feel confident about the project and look forward to commissioning in spring 2027, concludes Pär Norström.