Use of Feed Mixer Wagons

Even the Best Ration Won’t Work If the Feed Mixer Is Not Used Correctly

In dairy or beef operations, a successful feeding program does not end with using the right raw materials in the right amounts. The prepared ration must reach the animal in a homogeneous state and with the correct physical structure.

A ration that looks perfect on paper may not yield the expected results in the field due to improper use of the feed mixer, loading feeds in the wrong order, dull blades, or mixing for too long or too short a time.

The goal is simple: No matter which part of the feed bunk the animal eats from, it should consume the same ration as much as possible.

Why Is a Homogeneous Mixture Important in a Feed Mixer?

The main purpose of the TMR (Total Mixed Ration) system is to mix roughage, grains, protein sources, mineral-vitamin mixtures, and other feeds as homogeneously as possible.

In a well-prepared TMR, it becomes difficult for the animal to sort the feed. This helps prevent one animal from consuming more grain while another consumes more roughage.

If the mixture is not homogeneous enough, concentrate feed may concentrate in some areas of the feed bunk, while the proportion of roughage may increase in others. This can increase sorting behavior, especially in dairy cattle, and cause animals to consume a nutrient profile different from the formulated ration.

In What Order Should Feeds Be Added to the Mixer?

It is not accurate to provide a single loading order that applies to every operation. Whether the machine is vertical or horizontal, the auger structure, capacity, length of the roughage used, and moisture content can change the loading order. First and foremost, the machine manufacturer’s recommendations should be followed.

The general operating logic is as follows:

1. Long and dry roughage: If long-stemmed straw, hay, or similar materials need to be reduced in size, they are usually added to the machine early. However, one should avoid turning the roughage into flour while reducing it; excessive shredding can disrupt the ration’s physically effective fiber structure.
2. Dry and smaller particle feeds: After the roughage reaches the appropriate physical structure, grains, protein sources, and other dry feeds can be added to the system.
3. Minerals, vitamins, and low-inclusion additives: It is important that premixes, minerals, and similar products used in small quantities are distributed evenly within the mixture. When necessary, pre-mixing with a suitable carrier feed yields more accurate results.
4. Silage and high-moisture feeds: Corn silage and similar moist materials are added to the system and mixed with the other feeds.
5. Molasses and other liquid products: Liquid products must be distributed as evenly as possible within the mixture; applying excessive liquid to a single point can cause clumping.

Why Is Blade Sharpness Important?

Dull, broken, or worn blades may crush, drag, or fail to sufficiently chop the roughage instead of cutting it properly. As a result, long and irregular roughage pieces may remain in the ration, animals may find it easier to sort the feed, the homogeneity of the mixture may be compromised, the machine’s operating time may increase, and fuel or electricity consumption may rise. Establishing a regular blade inspection program in the operation is highly beneficial.

Over-mixing Is Also Not Correct

The idea that “the longer we mix, the more homogeneous it becomes” is not always true. Insufficient mixing can lead to uneven distribution of raw materials; however, excessive mixing and cutting can cause roughage to become overly fine. Therefore, the goal is not the maximum mixing time, but the optimum mixing time.

Overloading the Machine Can Disrupt Homogeneity

There must be enough space inside the machine for the feed to move. When loaded beyond capacity, the material cannot move sufficiently, making it difficult to achieve a homogeneous mixture. For this reason, the minimum and maximum operating capacities determined by the machine manufacturer must be observed.

How Do We Know If the Mixture Is Homogeneous?

After the feed is distributed, the ration at the beginning, middle, and end of the feed bunk can be compared. For more technical evaluation, equipment such as the Penn State Particle Separator can be used. Additionally, it should be monitored whether the animals are sorting the feed by picking out specific parts.

Producing the Same Ration Every Day Is Important

The real success lies in the ration prepared today being as similar as possible to the one prepared tomorrow. For this, the loading order, raw material quantity, blade condition, mixing time, machine fill rate, and distribution method should be standardized as much as possible.

In conclusion

In dairy and beef operations, the feed mixer is not just a piece of equipment that mixes feeds together; it is the final link that delivers the formula prepared by the nutritionist to the animal in the correct way. A correctly formulated ration may not show the targeted performance due to the wrong loading order, dull blades, overfilling, or incorrect mixing time.

Therefore, the question to be asked in the operation should not only be “What are we putting into the ration?” but rather: “Is the animal really consuming the exact same ration in every bite?” Because in a good feeding program, the goal is not just to weigh the feeds in the right proportions, but to maintain those proportions from the beginning to the end of the feed bunk.