guides in feed mixing
TRANSCRIPT
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8/12/2019 Guides in Feed Mixing
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Guides in Feed Mixing
Mixing the all the raw materials in a given ration is
important; because, mixing them thoroughly enables the
animal to get the proper nutrition needed.
The amount of feed to mix depends on the number of
animals to feed. To do this, multiply the amount of each
feed in the ration by the number of animals to feed. Then
multiply the answers by the number of days to mix for. The
final answer is the amount of feeds to mix.
To maintain the freshness or prevent rancidity in
feeds, it is recommended to mix feeds once a week. Mix in a
500 kg or 000 kg batch.
Mixing equipment
There are two types of mixer, the batch mixer and the
continuous mixer. !n batch mixer, the e"uipment is charged
with the feedstuffs to be mixed. Mixing takes place for a
prescribed length of time, and then the mix is discharged.
#atch mixers are available in vertical and hori$ontal types.
%ontinuous mixer is used primarily in large feed
manufacturing plant. !n this type, feed ingredients are
continuously introduced at one end and the mixed feeds are
removed at the other end. !t is usually of the hori$ontal
type.
The vertical mixer elevates feed ingredients by means
of an auger in the center of the mixer to the top where
these are discharged into the mixing bin and then permitted
to flow by means of gravity to the bottom of the bin wherethey are again elevated by the auger and discharged. Mixing
is achieved when the ingredients are scattered as they are
discharged from auger at the type but does not in general
make the best &ob of blending the ingredients.
The hori$ontal mixer consists of a large '(shaped bin
which contains a central mixing blade or ribbon mounted on a
rotating shaft. The blade or ribbon of the mixer cuts
through the feed ingredients in the bin thus producing a
mechanical intermixing of the feedstuffs in the ration. This
type of e"uipment costs more than the vertical type and
re"uires more power because the entire mix is agitated inthe mixing process. )owever, the hori$ontal mixer is more
efficient at producing uniform blends particularly where
some ingredients are used only in minute "uantities.
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Mixing *rocedures
Manual mixing. +eed may be shovel mixed on a concrete floor
or homemade box. !f the floor is too rough, mixing becomes
difficult.
Mix effectively with least effort thru the following
procedures
. -ll feed ingredients which constitute less than or
percent of the final mixing volume must be premixed to
avoid poor distribution of ingredients in the feed.
*remixing can be accomplished by blending the minor
ingredients with a "uantity of one ma&or ingredient
such as soybean meal or preferably a carrier. !f salt
and other minerals become hardened during storage, they
must be dried, and then thoroughly pulveri$ed beforemixing. -ll lumps should be removed to attain good mix.
. *remixes should be prepared ahead of time particularly
the mineral premix. -dding commercial premixes to a
mixed feed should follow the directions from the
manufacturer.
/. i"uid ingredient like molasses should first be mixed
with a ma&or ingredient like ground corn. #oth could be
blended manually.
1. 2tart with feeds which makes up the largest part of the
mix. 2pread out the "uantity needed for the mix in a
large flat pile.5. Take the re"uired amount of the feed making up the next
largest part of the mix and spread it out in a thin
layer covering all of the pile of the first feeds.
3. 2pread out each of the other feeds to be mixed so that
when finished, a large flat pile having everywhere the
same number of layers as there are feeds in the mix is
obtained.
4. ith the shovel, a large scoop is best(start at one
side of the pile and turn the entire pile over so that
the layers are mixed.
6. This should be repeated about five times or more toprocedure a homogenous mixture.
Mechanical Mixing. Mechanical mixing can make use of a
homemade, batch or continuous mixer. To get a good mixing in
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the homemade mixer, place first in the mixer about half of
the main ingredients like corn and soybean meal, mix these
for a few minutes, then add the mixture of vitamins, salt,
and other small ingredients. Mix for another /(5 minutes.
-dd the rest of the ingredients and again mix for 5 minutes.
There is longer time of mixing needed in this type of mixer
compared to continuous and batch mixer.
hen using a batch mixer, all the ingredients that
constitute less than 5 percent of the feed formula should be
added after the mixer is 7/ full and before 7/ of the
total weight of feed ingredients has been added. !n the
continuous mixer, anything less than 58 are added during the
mixing time of a particular batch of feed.
+eed +orms
The usual end product resulting from mixing of
feedstuffs is the ground feeds known as mash. hile thismash is usually fed into the form of a ground mixture, it
can be processed to produce other feed forms. *ellets are
mash feeds that have been compressed with the aid of live
steam to produce small chunks of cylinders of feeds.
2ome mash feeds are processed to produce still another
form of feeds known as crumbles. %rumbles are produced by
grinding pellets into a coarse granular form. The crumbles
are better adapted to mechanical feeders and can be used
with animals that are too small to consume the pelleted
form. *elleted or crumbled feeds generally cost slightly
more than the same ration in mash form.