Physical and mechanical properties of mixtures of feed additives for cattle

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Protein-mineral-vitamin supplements in the diet of cattle, in particular cows, help to increase the fat and protein content in milk, milk yield and feed conversion, and some types of additives can reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The main problem of the effective use of additives is the uniformity of their distribution, due to the small amount in the total feed mixture, the total weight of additives in the diet is 1.5-2%. One of the directions for solving the problem is the development of a mixer for preliminary mixing of additives, the parameters of which are difficult to justify without studying the physical and mechanical properties of mixtures of additives. Using standard techniques and developed laboratory installations, the physicomechanical properties of mixtures of feed additives for cows used in the diets of two farms in the Leningrad Region were determined. It was revealed that more than 80% of the particles of the mixtures have sizes in the range of 0.75-0.105 mm, the bulk density of the mixtures was 905 and 911.3 kg / m3, the moisture content was 8.14 and 4.44%, the angles of repose of the mixtures were 34, 17° and 34.83°, caving angles - 25.6 ° and 25.9°, internal friction coefficients - 0.76 and 0.7, external friction (on steel) - 0.5 and 0.49. Studies have shown the similarity of the physical and mechanical properties of the mixtures, even under the condition that the proportions and properties of individual additives are different. This allows us to consider the possibility of using the average values of the indicators of physical and mechanical properties when justifying the parameters of technological equipment for mixing, transporting and storing feed additives for cattle.