Feed Lot Magazine Online, The Performance Benefit of Proper Mixing

Aside from dry matter intake, one of the favorite topics for nutritionists is thoroughness of mixing. There are three rations involved in feeding cattle: 1) the one the nutritionists formulates, 2) the one you actually mix up, and 3) the one the cattle consume.

We always hope the last rations resembles the first one, but that depends on how you weigh and mix the feedstuffs offered in your yard.

Several years ago, the staff at South Dakota State University conducted a trial to illustrate the value of proper mixing. They actually conducted the trial to convince "smaller" cattle feeders that they could afford to buy a mixer wagon. However, the point to note is the performance benefit of proper mixing.

While this trial was conducted with a grower diet, the percent response is probably applicable all the way through the finisher diets (10 percent improvement in ADG and 12 percent improvement in feed to gain.) Grower diets are obviously harder to mix because of all the roughage. However, mix times for finisher diets are often underestimated because so much of the diet is corn.

We need to remember the supplement is carrying valuable ionophores (Bovatec, Rumensin, etc.) as well as the proper amount of calcium to balance the diet. It takes time for a small-inclusion ingredient to get distributed evenly throughout the mixer.

The obvious question is, "How long should I mix?" The answer will vary by mixer, tractor or truck being used as the power unit for the mixer, and probably diet type. However, in general, it will probably take five to 10 minutes after addition of the last ingredient for adequate mixing to occur. Consult mixer owner's manual for recommended mixing times. The only way to know or sure is to take a sample of your final mix.

Another critical factor is proper order of ingredient addition. Many times the order ingredient addition is dictated by the physical layout of our ingredient storage, but ideally, we should add in this order: corn or other grain, other small-inclusion items, dry supplement, and roughage.

Adding liquid supplement last usually results in hay balls. By adding it after corn, we coat the corn and then the corn gets distributed throughout the roughage. Even more ideal may be to add about 2/3 of the corn first, and then add the last 1/3 of the corn after the roughage, but this may be too much of a hassle. Like I said, if a sample says you are getting adequate mix, you must be doing something right.

So next time, consider that the amount of time to drive from the feed storage area to your first pen of delivery may not be enough to adequately mix the diet. Look at your watch! If it's only been a minute from the last ingredient dumped until you get to the first bunk, it's probably not mixed long enough.