Mixing cattle feed is a more complicated process than many people might think. Cattle feed is a carefully formulated mixture, with the right amounts of grain, roughage, protein, vitamins and minerals for cattle to grow to a high weight quickly. Cattle feed also contains antibiotics and other additives to prevent diseases and treat infections. All of these ingredients must be carefully measured and mixed to keep cattle healthy. This process takes a lot of time and energy, both for small and large cattle operations alike. Automated cattle feed mixers are helping feedlot managers and ranchers save time and money.
How to Save Time and Money with an Automated Cattle Feed Mixer
Automated Ingredient Measuring
Measuring out individual ingredients by hand can take a long time. Workers have to add the right amount of vitamin and mineral mixes, as well as pharmaceuticals, and there’s no guarantee that these ingredients will be measured out accurately. An automated ingredient mixer uses individual bins, hoppers, and scales to measure each ingredient automatically. This not only means there’s no more scooping, but it also means that each ingredient can empty into the mixer simultaneously, saving even more time.
Automated Mixing
Getting a homogeneous mix means that all cattle get the right amount of vitamins, minerals, and antibiotics. Automated mixing not only makes it easier to get a homogeneous mix, but it also saves time. While the mixer is working, staff members are free to take on other tasks.
Optimizing the Mix
Feedlots that utilize pellets face a difficult problem; changing the mix of vitamins and minerals becomes difficult when all the ingredients are already fixed in a pellet. If a deficiency occurs, managers can increase the amount of feed pellets, but this will increase the amount of all vitamins and minerals, instead of directly addressing the deficiency itself. An automated cattle feed mixer allows you to adjust the feed mix to accommodate for vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and adjust the mix to account for varying growth stages, but it also gives you the speed and efficiency of automation.
Getting the Right Ingredients
Some cattle feed operations sign exclusive contracts with drug or vitamin mix suppliers to get their automated cattle feed machines. However, these contracts can be costly long-term; if the drugs don’t perform as expected or the vitamin mixers aren’t high-quality, it can have big consequences for cattle growth and health, as well as ROI. Working with an independent equipment supplier, you can get the right cattle feed mixer, but you also will have the flexibility to choose the right supplier for all ingredients, while considering both cost and performance.
Easy Lot Tracking
With a surge in mycotoxins, feed recalls, and other issues, it’s more important than ever to be able to track what ingredients are going into feed, and where that feed is going. Though it’s not a common part of the cost- or time-saving equation in cattle feed, being able to quickly and easily track ingredients and feed can save time and energy when it’s needed most. Dealing with recalls can be stressful, but automated lot tracking in automated cattle feed mixers can help to make this process a bit easier, and help to avoid costly damages from tainted ingredients or feed.
Utilizing Bulk Ingredients
Automated cattle feed mixers can make it easier to utilize bulk ingredients, which can save both money and time. Though loading a super sack can take a bit more time upfront, it also eliminates lots of back and forth carrying of smaller bags. The automated cattle feed mixer will measure ingredients automatically and the bins can store wholesale, bulk ingredients, so you can be sure that your ingredients are stored reliably and dispensed accordingly.
An automated cattle feed mixer can help cattle feed producers save both time and money in a number of ways. Working with an independent equipment supplier can help you customize the mixer to best suit your ingredients and operation. If you have questions about how an automated cattle feed mixer can help improve your operation, let us know. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.
