Barley remains one of the most widely used feed grains on livestock farms across Northern Europe, and for good reason. It is energy-dense, widely available, and responds well to processing. But simply harvesting barley and offering it whole to animals leaves a significant amount of its nutritional potential untapped. Crushing barley before feeding unlocks starch digestibility, improves feed conversion, and gives farmers far greater control over their feed production workflow. Getting the process right, however, requires more than just running grain through a machine.
Modern farm feed production has evolved considerably, and so have the tools available for barley processing. From roller mills and disc mills to hammer mills, each approach brings distinct advantages depending on the livestock being fed, the moisture content of the grain, and the scale of the operation. This article walks through the key decisions and practical considerations that determine whether your barley crushing setup delivers real results.
How particle size affects feed quality and animal performance
Particle size is one of the most consequential variables in feed production, yet it often receives less attention than equipment choices or storage methods. When barley is crushed, the goal is to break open the kernel and expose the starchy interior to digestive enzymes. The finer the grind, the more surface area is available for digestion, but the relationship between fineness and performance is not linear across all animal species.
For cattle, a coarser crush tends to work well. Ruminants benefit from some physical structure in their feed, which supports rumen function and prevents digestive issues. For pigs, a finer particle size generally improves starch digestibility and feed efficiency, which is why many pig farms favour disc mills or hammer mills that produce a more uniform, finer result. Poultry sits somewhere in between, with research consistently showing that overly fine grinding can reduce feed intake and increase dustiness, while too coarse a grind reduces nutrient availability.
Moisture content at the time of crushing also influences the final particle profile. Wet or high-moisture barley processed through a roller mill produces a flatter, more consistent flake, while dry grain run through a hammer mill produces a floury texture. Understanding which particle size suits your livestock is the first step toward building a feed production system that genuinely improves animal performance.
Choosing the right crushing method for your barley
The three main crushing methods used on farms each produce a distinctly different result, and matching the method to the end use is essential for feed efficiency.
Roller mills
Roller mills work by passing grain between two or more rollers that compress and crack the kernel. The result is a flattened, consistent particle that retains good physical structure. This method suits cattle farms particularly well, especially those using moist grain preservation, where barley is harvested at higher moisture content, crushed, and stored airtight. The preserved moist grain retains more of its nutritional value compared to dried and ground alternatives, and the roller mill produces the flattened texture that works well in this system. We have built our roller mill range specifically around this method, with a track record going back to 1969.
Disc mills
Disc mills use grinding discs to process grain, and they handle both dry and moist grain effectively. Our W-Max disc mills are a strong example of what this technology can achieve: the largest model in the range processes up to 100 tonnes of maize per hour, and the gap between the discs is easy to adjust, giving operators precise control over particle fineness. Disc mills are particularly well suited to pig farms and other operations where a finer, more uniform crush is needed. They are also notably quiet in operation, which matters in farm environments where noise can be a practical concern.
Hammer mills
Hammer mills use high-speed rotating hammers to pulverise grain into a fine flour. This method is the right choice when feeding recipes require a dry, finely ground grain, which is common on certain cattle and pig farms where the nutritional protocol calls for a floury consistency. Our Murska Hammer range is designed for exactly this purpose, offering reliable performance for farms that need a true milled flour rather than cracked or flattened grain.
Key factors that determine crushing efficiency on farm
Crushing efficiency on a working farm depends on several interconnected factors, and optimising one without considering the others often leads to disappointing results.
Grain moisture content is the starting point. Dry grain behaves very differently from harvest-moisture grain, and not every mill type handles both equally well. Disc mills and roller mills cope well with moist grain, while hammer mills are generally better suited to drier material. Running high-moisture grain through a hammer mill, for example, can cause blockages and uneven output.
Throughput capacity relative to farm demand is another critical consideration. A mill that is consistently pushed to its maximum capacity will wear faster and produce less consistent output. Matching the mill’s rated capacity to realistic daily demand, with some headroom, extends equipment life and maintains output quality. Tractor power output is also directly relevant here: modern control systems, such as the Murska Data system available on our disc mills, actively manage the relationship between the mill and the tractor’s power take-off to optimise throughput without overloading the tractor.
Regular maintenance of wear components, particularly rollers and discs, has a direct impact on particle size consistency. Worn components produce uneven crushing, which leads to variable feed quality across the batch.
Integrating barley crushing into a farm feed production workflow
A well-integrated feed production workflow treats barley crushing not as an isolated task but as one step in a connected sequence that runs from harvest to feeding. The most efficient farms plan their crushing operations around storage capacity, feeding schedules, and available labour rather than treating it as something done reactively when feed runs low.
Moist grain preservation is a workflow model that works particularly well for barley. Grain is crushed immediately after harvest, before drying, and stored in an airtight environment such as a silo, bunker, or plastic tube. This eliminates drying costs entirely, reduces energy use, and produces a feed with better nutritional retention than dried and re-processed grain. The tube storage option is especially flexible for farms that want a low-cost entry point into this method.
Preservative dosing is another workflow element that benefits from automation. When the volume of grain being processed varies, manual preservative application becomes inconsistent. Automated dosing systems that adjust preservative flow based on actual grain throughput ensure that every tonne receives the correct treatment, which protects both feed quality and storage safety. Spiral conveyors are a practical addition to most setups, providing a flexible and reliable way to move grain, flour, or pelleted feeds between processing and storage points without manual handling.
Common mistakes that reduce crushing performance
Even well-chosen equipment underperforms when certain operational habits work against it. One of the most common issues is running a mill at inconsistent speeds or loads, which produces variable particle sizes across a batch. Consistent operating conditions, maintained within the equipment’s recommended parameters, are essential for uniform output.
Neglecting gap or clearance settings is another frequent problem. On roller mills and disc mills, the gap between the working surfaces determines particle size. Over time, wear causes the effective gap to drift, and operators who do not regularly check and adjust settings will notice a gradual decline in crush quality without an obvious single cause. Building a simple maintenance schedule around gap checks prevents this from becoming a persistent problem.
Feeding grain into the mill unevenly, whether due to a poorly positioned intake or an inconsistent supply from a conveyor, creates surges and gaps in throughput that stress the machine and reduce output consistency. Investing in a properly matched intake and feed system pays back quickly in both equipment longevity and feed quality.
Finally, overlooking the importance of preservative application in moist grain systems is a mistake that can undermine an otherwise well-run operation. Under-dosing leads to spoilage, while over-dosing wastes money and can affect palatability. If you want to explore which crushing and preservation setup fits your farm’s specific situation, get in touch with us and we can work through the options together.
Meet Murska at EuroTier 2026
Murska will be exhibiting at EuroTier 2026, one of the world’s most important trade fairs for professional animal production and livestock farming. The event takes place from 10 to 13 November 2026 in Hanover, Germany, and brings together leading manufacturers, farmers, and industry professionals to showcase the latest solutions, technologies, and innovations in the sector.
At EuroTier 2026, Murska will be presenting its full range of solutions for efficient feed production, grain processing, and moist grain preservation. Our roller mills, disc mills, hammer mills, and preservation systems are all designed to help farms improve production efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and optimise animal nutrition — themes that align closely with EuroTier’s focus on animal welfare, feeding technology, automation, and sustainable production.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Murska stand in Hanover. Come and meet our experts, see our equipment up close, and discuss how our solutions can be tailored to your farm’s specific needs.
