Batch Mixer Blends Manure Into Rations

Batch Mixer Blends Manure Into Rations “Interest in feeding manure to livestock is unbelievable We’re receiving several calls every day and from all of the people I’ve talked to it’s apparent that this concept of feeding is being well accepted ” reports Ramsey Davis president of H C Davis Sons Manufacturing Co Bonner Springs Kan He notes that beef manure is relatively easy to mix and blend into rations but that poultry litter is “something else – it’s very dense and thick almost like trying to mix glue or plastic ” To get the job done his firm has developed an exclusive horizontal batch mixer designed specifically for precision blending of manure with grain concentrates silage or hay for feeding to livestock An agitator equipped with both forward and reversing paddles is used inside the mixer’s tank to circulate ingredients from one end to the other To combat the density problem in mixing manure it’s equipped with an auger on one side of the agitator The auger provides a scouring or cleaning action explains Ramsey Davis president As the agitator’s paddles pass by any build up is removed by the auger which continues to circulate the products to the end of the mixer tank This prevents manure from building up on the mixer’s agitator which would restrict mixing as well as cause the mixer to pull hard explains Davis “The encouraging thing about mixing different types of manure with our new mixer is that you can also use it to blend grain and concentrate rations or a grain and roughage ration ” Davis points out “Because manure is so dense the mixer does have to be built considerable heavier than a conventional mixer but it will also handle many other ingredients besides manure ” Portable and stationary models are available from 48 to 400 cu ft of mixing capacity Cost ranges from approximately $1 800 for the smallest mixer to about $10 000 for a mixer with 300 bu ft of mixing capacity and equipped with the necessary special features required to blend and mix manure Davis feels that a mixer equipped with an agitator is a “must” for mixing and blending manure into livestock rations “Mixers that use 3 or 4 augers just aren’t able to lift a product this dense up from the bottom of the tank in order to mix it with the material on top The agitator on our unit provides a constant lifting action the entire length of the tank ” As of January 1 1977 12 of the company’s new heavy-duty mixers had completed on year of satisfactory operation in the field “Feeders are literally going out into their feed pens scraping up the manure dumping it in the mixer and blending it with grain silage or hay It’s to the point that as soon as fresh manure hits the ground it can be refed ” says Davis “Poultry manure is exceptionally high in protein content and beef manure is also very valuable I know of one cattle feeder who’s feeding 50% manure and doing well Most however are feeding one-third manure ” For more details on the new Precision Mix Batch Mixers contact: FARM SHOW Followup H C Davis Sons Mfg Fourth and Front Streets Box 395 Bonner Springs Kan 60012

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