Mexico Layer Feed Mill Achieves 12-Month Stable Output with Hongyang Ring Die Pellet Mill

Mexico is the world’s sixth-largest egg producer, generating 3.27 million metric tons of eggs in 2024, and holds the global record for per capita egg consumption at 392 eggs per person per year. Behind these numbers stands a feed industry producing 7.7 million metric tons of layer feed annually — the second-largest segment of Mexico’s 41 million metric ton total feed output. For layer operations, feed consistency is not optional: fluctuating pellet quality directly impacts egg size uniformity, shell strength, and hen productivity.

This case study examines a commercial layer feed mill in Jalisco, Mexico’s largest egg-producing state, which replaced aging pellet mill dies with Hongyang ring dies in early 2025. Over 12 months, the mill sustained 8 metric tons per hour throughput with pellet durability index (PDI) consistently above 94%, reduced downtime by approximately 30%, and reported measurably improved egg size consistency from its integrated layer customers.

Mexico’s poultry sector is a pillar of national food security. The country’s 173 million laying hens — the largest layer flock in Latin America — produce eggs that are consumed at the highest per capita rate anywhere on earth. According to the Mexican Poultry Producers Association (UNA), the average Mexican eats 392 eggs per year, well ahead of second-place Colombia at 291 eggs.

The industry is concentrated among both vertically integrated giants and independent commercial mills. PROAN, with 34 million layers, is the world’s second-largest egg company. Bachoco, a diversified poultry leader, operates 12.2 million layers alongside its dominant broiler business. Empresas Guadalupe, El Calvario, and Gena Agropecuaria each manage 10 million or more layers. Beneath these titans, dozens of mid-sized feed mills supply independent layer farms across Jalisco, Guanajuato, Puebla, and Nuevo León.

Mexico’s feed industry produced 41 million metric tons in 2024, ranking fifth globally behind China, the United States, Brazil, and India, according to the Mexican Feed Council (Conafab). Layer feed accounts for 7.7 million metric tons — nearly one-fifth of all feed manufactured in the country. Conafab projects 2.8% growth in layer feed production for 2025, reaching approximately 7.9 million metric tons, driven by steady domestic demand and export opportunities.

The mill in this case study is a commercial operation located in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, Mexico’s primary egg-producing zone. It produces approximately 2,500 metric tons of layer feed per month, serving a network of independent egg farms within a 100-kilometer radius. The mill runs two pellet mill lines — one dedicated to layer phase-1 feed (high calcium, coarse texture) and one for phase-2 and phase-3 diets.

Prior to the Hongyang installation in early 2025, the mill was running ring dies from a European supplier on its primary production line, an 8 t/h rated pellet mill. The mill’s maintenance manager reported two persistent issues. First, die lifespan had shortened to approximately 2,500 operating hours — roughly six months at the mill’s production volume — before PDI dropped below 88%. Second, throughput fluctuated between 6.5 and 7.8 t/h depending on die wear, disrupting production scheduling and forcing overtime shifts during peak demand periods.

The mill’s procurement team evaluated ring dies from three manufacturers before selecting Hongyang. The evaluation criteria were: die longevity under high-calcium, abrasive layer diet conditions; throughput stability across the die’s service life; and the supplier’s technical support capability for compression ratio optimization.

Hongyang proposed a customized ring die with the following specifications:

The compression ratio selection was particularly critical. Layer diets contain elevated calcium (typically 3.5–4.5%) from limestone and oyster shell additions, which are inherently abrasive and accelerate die wear. A compression ratio that is too low produces weak pellets; too high generates excessive friction heat, degrading heat-sensitive vitamins and amino acids. Hongyang’s technical team worked with the mill’s nutritionist to model the optimal L/D ratio based on the specific formulation’s fat content, fiber level, and particle size distribution.

Dies were manufactured at Hongyang’s facility in Liyang, Jiangsu, using CNC gun-drilling equipment and vacuum heat treatment lines. Each die underwent PDI validation on a test pellet mill running a representative layer diet before shipment.

The Hongyang ring dies were installed in February 2025. The mill tracked key performance metrics over the subsequent 12 months and compared them against the previous 12-month period with the European dies.

The most significant operational gain was throughput stability. With the previous dies, production capacity degraded noticeably after approximately 1,200 operating hours as hole wear widened, reducing compression effectiveness. The Hongyang dies maintained consistent hole geometry well past 3,000 hours, allowing the mill to run single-shift scheduling reliably — eliminating the need for overtime and reducing labor costs.

Energy consumption dropped by approximately 10%, attributable to the multi-step relief hole design that reduces frictional resistance during pellet formation. At Mexico’s industrial electricity rates — among the highest in Latin America — this translated to measurable monthly savings.

The mill’s quality control laboratory reported that PDI averaged 94.6% across monthly grab samples, compared to 89.2% previously. Fines content at the farm gate dropped from 6.5% to under 3%, a critical metric for layer operations where fines represent both economic loss and a potential contributor to uneven flock performance.

The mill’s general manager noted three qualitative improvements beyond the quantitative metrics:

In Mexico’s competitive layer industry, feed represents approximately 60–70% of total egg production costs. With imported grains accounting for three-quarters of raw material inputs and subject to exchange rate volatility, mills cannot afford production inefficiencies that waste inputs or compromise output quality.

For commercial mills supplying independent layer farms, pellet quality is a direct competitive differentiator. Farmers who receive consistent, high-durability pellets experience fewer feeding system blockages, lower feed wastage, and more uniform egg output — all of which strengthen the mill’s customer retention.

This 12-month case study demonstrates that precision-engineered ring dies — with optimized compression ratios, advanced metallurgy, and multi-step hole geometry — deliver measurable improvements in throughput stability, pellet durability, and energy efficiency for layer feed production.

For Hongyang, the Jalisco installation validates the company’s approach to customer-specific die engineering. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all ring dies, Hongyang’s process of formulation-matched compression ratio selection and die design optimization addresses the specific challenges of each feed type — in this case, the high-calcium, abrasive nature of layer diets.

The mill has since placed orders for ring dies for its second production line and is exploring Hongyang’s roller shell offerings to further optimize the pellet mill’s compression zone performance.