| Price | 500-8000 USD |
| Delivery Time | 10-15 days |
| Available | In Stock |
| Package | In Free Fumigation Wood Box |
| Guarantee | 1 Year |
| Shipping | By Sea or By Air |
| Payment Method | Wire Transfer or Western Union |
| Brand | Victor |
Product Overview
| Production Output | 0.1-5 t/h |
| Power | Electric motor or diesel engine |
| Voltage | 110-415V |
| Raw Materials | Cereal, corn meal, wheat, barley flour, soybean meal, oil seed meal, fish meal, bone meal, etc |
| Type | Horizontal Ribbon |
| Final product size | 0.4-10 mm |
| Application | mixing powder materials |
| Used For | cattle feed production |
specification of Cattle feed mixer machine
electric power type
| Model | Electric Power(kw) | Output(kg/h) |
| VTHS-100 | 3 | 100-300 |
| VTHS-150 | 4 | 150-450 |
| VTHS-250 | 5.5 | 200-800 |
| VTHS-500 | 7.5 | 1000-1500 |
| VTHS-1000 | 15 | 1500-3000 |
| VTHS-2000 | 18.5 | 2000-5000 |
diesel engine type
| Model | Diesel Engine Power(HP) | Output(kg/h) |
| VTHS-100 | 4 | 100-300 |
| VTHS-150 | 5 | 150-450 |
| VTHS-250 | 7 | 200-800 |
| VTHS-500 | 10 | 1000-1500 |
| VTHS-1000 | 20 | 1500-3000 |
| VTHS-2000 | 25 | 2000-5000 |
Introduction
If you’ve been around cattle long enough, you’ve seen the classic trick. You spend your time and money putting together what you think is a perfect meal – good hay, nutritious silage, a little grain. Then you watch as your cleverest cow sticks her nose in and skillfully eats nothing but the corn, leaving all the important roughage behind. It’s frustrating. And honestly, it’s bad for business and bad for the cow.
This common problem is called selective feeding. It’s where a cattle feed mixer machine, especially what we call a TMR (Total Mixed Ration) mixer, becomes one of the most valuable tools on a modern farm. This guide will break down what these mixers are, why they’re such a game-changer for your herd’s health and your farm’s profitability, the different types you’ll see, and how to choose the right one for your operation.
What is a Cattle Feed Mixer?
A cattle feed mixer is a specialized, heavy-duty machine. It’s designed to take all the different parts of a cow’s diet – from dry grains and supplements to wet silage and long, fibrous hay – and blend them all together into a single, uniform mixture.
The real goal here is to create what farmers call a Total Mixed Ration (TMR). Think of it like a perfectly balanced, complete casserole for your cattle. Every single mouthful a cow takes is the exact same mix of ingredients. It’s the best way to make sure she can’t just eat the “candy” and leave the “vegetables.”
Why a Good Mixer is a Game-Changer for Your Herd
Investing in a proper feed mixer isn’t just about convenience; it changes how your farm works for the better.
Stops Picky Eaters & Ensures Every Cow Gets a Balanced Diet
This is the number one reason to own one. When all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, cows simply can’t sort out their favorites. Every bite is the same, which means every cow in your herd – not just the dominant ones – gets the balanced diet you spent time planning for them.
Improves Rumen Health & Reduces Digestive Upsets
A cow’s main stomach, the rumen, loves consistency. When a cow eats a steady, uniform diet every day, the environment inside her rumen stays stable and healthy. This can lead to fewer common digestive problems and better overall health.
Boosts Milk Production (for Dairy) & Weight Gain (for Beef)
Consistent, high-quality nutrition is directly tied to performance. For dairy cows, a well-mixed TMR often leads to more milk and higher butterfat content. For beef cattle, it means more efficient and steady weight gain. You’re getting more out of the feed you put in.
Reduces Feed Waste
When cows can’t push their food around to find the best bits, much less feed gets pushed out of the bunk, stepped on, and wasted. This means more of your expensive ingredients actually get eaten.
Saves Huge Amounts of Time and Labor
Let’s be honest, mixing feed for a whole herd with a shovel and a tractor bucket is back-breaking work. A mixer automates this entire process, saving you a huge amount of time and physical effort every single day.
Types of Cattle Feed Mixers: Vertical vs. Horizontal
When you start looking at TMR mixers, you’ll mainly find two main styles.
Vertical Auger Mixers:
How they work: These mixers look like a big tub with one or more large, vertical screws (we call them augers) inside. The augers have knives on them. They lift ingredients from the bottom, cut through any hay, and circulate everything up and around. This lifting and tumbling action does the mixing.
Best for: These are great all-around farm mixers. They are especially good if you need to process whole round or square bales of hay, as the augers are designed to break them apart. They can also be a bit gentler on the feed structure.
Considerations: For some very precise dairy rations, they can sometimes take a little longer to get a perfectly uniform mix compared to a horizontal mixer.
Horizontal Mixers (Auger, Reel, or Paddle types):
How they work: These are long troughs with horizontal mixing parts inside. They might use augers (screws), a large reel, or a series of paddles to tumble and mix the feed very quickly and aggressively.
Best for: They often provide a very consistent and uniform mix, which makes them a popular choice for large dairy operations where every bite’s nutritional content is key.
Considerations: They might be less effective at breaking down a whole hay bale on their own. They usually work best with hay that has been chopped or processed first.
Choosing the Right Mixer: A Practical Checklist for Cattle Farmers
Selecting the right mixer is a big decision for your farm. Here are some key things to think about:
What’s Your Herd Size?
This will determine the mixer capacity you need. Capacity is often measured in cubic meters or cubic feet.
What Are Your Main Ingredients?
Are you using mostly wet silage and grains? Or do you need to process large, dry hay bales every day? This is a key factor in choosing between a vertical and a horizontal mixer.
Stationary or Mobile?
Do you need a stationary mixer that stays in your feed processing area? Or do you need a mobile TMR feed wagon that can mix as you drive and deliver feed directly to different groups of cattle?
What is Your Power Source?
Most large TMR mixers are driven by a tractor’s PTO (Power Take-Off). Smaller stationary mixers can be electric, but you will need the right kind of power supply for them.
Look for Durability
“Listen, cattle feed mixers do heavy, tough work, day in and day out. This is not a piece of equipment to buy cheap. Look for machines with thick steel walls, heavy-duty augers, and a reliable drivetrain. You want something that feels overbuilt.”
Check for Good Discharge & Clean-out
How easily and evenly does the feed come out? Is the mixer designed so it’s easy to clean out completely? You don’t want old, spoiled feed building up inside and contaminating the next batch.
Insider Tips for a Perfect Total Mixed Ration (TMR)
Getting a great mix every time takes a little know-how. Here are some tips from experience:
The Loading Order Matters
“Always follow a specific loading order for your ingredients. An old rule of thumb that works well is to add the driest, bulkiest stuff first, like your hay, to get it processed by the knives. Then add silage and any other wet ingredients. Finally, add the grains and supplements on top. This helps everything blend evenly.”
Don’t Under-mix or Over-mix
Under-mixing is bad because it lets your cows sort the feed. Over-mixing is also a problem because it can break down the feed particles too much, which can be bad for their rumen health. Find that sweet spot for your machine. It’s often around 3-6 minutes after you’ve added the last ingredient.
Check for Consistency
“After you’ve mixed a batch, take a good look at the feed as it comes out of the mixer. It should look the same from the start of unloading to the very end. You shouldn’t see clumps of hay at the beginning and piles of corn at the end. It should look like a well-mixed, uniform casserole.”
Keep Your Mixer’s Knives Sharp
“Here’s a tip that will save you money and headaches: keep the knives on your mixer’s augers sharp. Dull knives just tear and drag the hay. This makes your tractor work harder and burn more fuel. Sharp knives slice through it cleanly. Your mixing time goes down, and the final quality of the TMR goes way up. It’s a small maintenance job that makes a big difference.”
FAQ
1. What exactly is a TMR feed?
TMR stands for “Total Mixed Ration.” It’s a method of feeding cattle where all the forage (like hay and silage) and all the grain-based ingredients (like corn, supplements, and minerals) are mixed together. The goal is to create a single, consistent feed mix where every bite a cow takes is nutritionally balanced.
2. Can I put a whole bale of hay directly into a TMR mixer?
It really depends on the specific mixer. Many vertical auger mixers are specifically designed to do just that – they have strong augers and knives that can process and break down whole round or square bales of hay. Most horizontal mixers, on the other hand, work best with hay that has been pre-chopped or processed first. You should always check the machine’s specifications and what the manufacturer recommends.
3. How can I tell if my TMR is mixed properly?
Besides just looking to see if the feed appears visually consistent, you can use a special tool called the Penn State Particle Separator to scientifically check the mix. A simpler farm test is to take several samples from different spots along the feed bunk right after you’ve delivered the feed. Put them in separate buckets and see if they look and feel basically identical. If they do, you likely have a good mix.
4. What’s the difference between a feed mixer and a feed grinder?
They do two completely different but related jobs. A feed grinder’s purpose is to make particles smaller (for example, turning whole corn into ground corn or cracking it). A feed mixer’s purpose is to take several different ingredients (which may or may not be already ground) and blend them together evenly into a uniform ration.
5. Is buying a used TMR mixer a good investment?
It can be a way to save money, but it requires a very careful inspection before you buy. You have to be a bit of a detective. Check the key wear parts very closely. This includes the condition of the augers or screws for wear, especially on the leading edges. Check the thickness of the steel floor and the walls of the tub, as they can wear thin over time from abrasion. You should also check the drivetrain, the gearbox for any leaks or strange noises, and the electronic scale system to make sure it’s accurate. Repairs for these major components can be very expensive, so a cheap used mixer can sometimes end up costing you more in the long run if you are not careful.
