Feed Ingredients · Solve a Problem

Diagnose a feed flow or caking failure

Start from what you can see at the failure point. Each symptom below narrows the plausible causes, tells you what to measure before changing anything, and separates process and material direction from the parts that only a site trial can settle. One observation never proves one cause.

1 · Where does it fail?

Optional. This filters the symptom list; it does not change the diagnosis.

2 · What do you actually observe?

Pick the symptom you can see.

Choose a symptom to see the plausible cause families, the checks that separate them, and the direction to take before changing any material.

Use this when

A bin, hopper, auger or bagging line has stopped discharging consistently.
A premix or micro-ingredient has hardened, lumped or set in storage.
Dry blend assay results drift between samples of the same batch.
You need to decide whether the fix is process, material or a flow agent.

How this works

1. Pick the symptom you actually observe at the failure point, not the one you assume.
2. Read the likely cause families — several usually apply at once.
3. Measure the listed checks at the point of failure, not at intake.
4. Only then consider a process or material direction, and validate it on site.

What this page does not determine

It does not identify a single guaranteed root cause; flow failures are usually multi-factor.
It does not recommend an inclusion rate for any flow agent or carrier.
It does not state that a material is permitted, safe or suitable for your feed.
It does not predict finished-feed performance, homogeneity or animal outcomes.
Nothing here replaces a site trial under your own moisture, temperature and handling conditions.

Relevant Allzone products

These are catalogue identities relevant to investigate. A listing here is not a statement that the material is suitable for your feed, and it is not a permitted-use, safety, nutritional or performance claim.

Ask for a quotation or a specification

Where this comes from, and what it cannot tell you

Published bulk-solids flow literature (Jenike-type arching / rat-holing mechanics, funnel vs mass flow)
Supports: Bridging and rat-holing are governed by hopper geometry, wall friction and bulk cohesion, not only by additive choice.
Limitation: Generic mechanics. Hopper-specific outcomes require measured flow function and wall-friction data for your material.
Application-independent physics · Established engineering literature
Supplier technical data sheets for feed-grade silica, bentonite and zeolite
Supports: Anti-caking carriers are supplied with declared physical properties (surface area, moisture, particle size).
Limitation: Data sheets describe the material, not its effect in your blend. No inclusion rate is transferable between plants.
Product-specific · Verify against the lot documentation you receive
Hygroscopicity and deliquescence behaviour of feed micro-ingredients
Supports: Materials such as choline chloride pick up moisture from air above their critical relative humidity, driving caking.
Limitation: Threshold values are material- and grade-specific and must be read from the supplier documentation.
Material-specific · Confirm per grade