Unit D: Agricultural Equipment Systems. Lesson 8: Operating, Calibrating, and Maintaining Feed Handling Systems

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Unit D: Agricultural Equipment Systems. Lesson 8: Operating, Calibrating, and Maintaining Feed Handling Systems"

Transcription

1 Unit D: Agricultural Equipment Systems Lesson 8: Operating, Calibrating, and Maintaining Feed Handling Systems 1

2 Terms The following terms are presented in the lesson. Forage Palatability Pneumatic Roughage 2

3 Objective #1 Describe the operation of feed handling systems How are feed handling systems operated? 3

4 Type of feed affects equipment Roughage or Forage bulky high in fiber 4

5 Roughage Loose hay, bales and stacks fed in self-feeders or spread on ground self feeding causes high feed losses up to 50% trampling causes mud and kills vegetation losses can be as low as 5-10% by controlling access 5

6 Silage, Haylage, Dry Chopped Hay Require a bunk made of wood, concrete, steel, or rubber used to hold feed before, during, and after it is eaten 6

7 Fence line bunks Located on side of a feedlot filled with side unloader from a wagon or truck can be filled without going into lot requires twice as long bunk as a bunk that feeds from both sides 7

8 Mechanical Bunks Allows feeding from both sides of bunks can be used to divide lots reduces feeding time and labor due to mechanical power more expensive than fence line bunks need to cover bunks to protect equipment need a backup system in times of power outages 8

9 Portable bunks Allows feeding from both sides movable can be pushed around by animals so need to anchor down 9

10 Self-feeding System Includes haystacks, silage from plastic bags, rations in bunks and self-feeders can be filled with portable mixers wagons, truck mounted feeder boxes, or overhead augers 10

11 Energy & Protein Supplements Examples Grain Cottonseed meal recommend these be fed in bunk or self-feeder can be in the same bunk as the roughage 11

12 Self-feeders & bunks Drainage holes need to be present to remove rainwater holes can t be to big or will lose feed wood or metal structures needs to hold enough feed for at least 4 days 12

13 Self-feeders & bunks Palatability feed tastes good to the animal feed with greatest palatability in eaten within 4 days feed is offered free choice so animal can eat as much as it wants 13

14 Feed Centers Provides for receiving, drying, storing, unloading, elevating, and conveying provides also for processing grain and additives 14

15 Feed Processing Involves grinding grain, weighing or metering ingredients, mixing ingredients, and delivery of feed 15

16 Batch Feed Processing Involves weighing, grinding, and mixing individual ingredients in batches usually not automatic, although some steps may be automated 16

17 Continuos Flow Feed Processing Involves milling grain and blending with other rations automatically switches stop the mill when supply is exhausted or storage is full 17

18 Portable grinder mixers Versatile collect ingredients from several locations process this feed in batches grinding, mixing, and delivery are done by one machine 18

19 Mill with portable mixers Uses a stationary or portable mill that grinds the grain into batches as needed portable mixer collects ingredients, mixes the ration, and delivers the completed feed 19

20 Stationary mills with mixers Offers good control over feed composition wagon or truck delivers the completed feed to bulk tank or self-feeder pneumatic system systems that convey by airstream 20

21 Stationary mills with mixers Large swine operations, feed is delivered by high capacity pneumatic systems or by high capacity overhead conveyors Pneumatic systems are convenient but have high-energy requirements 21

22 Automatic electric mills Reliable, accurate, low labor and operating costs mill meters ingredients into grinding chamber where they are mixed grains and other ingredients must be stored close to mill separate delivery systems is required 22

23 Hay mills & tub grinders Used to process roughage processing roughage and mixing with grain allows more even consumption 23

24 Hay Mills Shred and screen solid bales 24

25 Tub grinders Have a large tub that rotates slowly and feeds a supply of roughage to hammer mill in the grinder after roughage is screened, ready for distribution 25

26 26

27 Silage Haylage Silage High Moisture Corn Supplement Bin Stationary Weigh Mixer Box Auger, Belt, or Flight Conveyor Delivery Vehicle Auger or Flight Conveyor 27

28 Ingredient Storage Grind Weigh or Meter and Mix Deliver Feed Portable grinder-mixer with scales Grain Staionary Mill Portable mixer with scales Calcium Source Protein Source Stationary miser with weight buggy Auger Wagon Phosphorus Source Salt Staionary Mill Automatic electric mill Auger Wagon Vit., TM, Pre-mix Automatic electric mill with automatic delivery Auger or Pneumatic 28

29 Objective #2 Explain the calibration of feed handling systems. How are feed handling systems calibrated? 29

30 Feed handling systems Designed to be efficient and convenient all steps in feed handling and processing operations require close monitoring 30

31 Initial Settings Rations require accuracy in metering, processing, grinding, and mixing ingredients initial settings for equipment can be found using tables provided by equipment manufacturer 31

32 Testing to insure quality Send in samples to test that the feed contains proper quantities of nutrients and additives. If feed is not ground sufficiently or ground too much, change the screen in the mill 32

33 Dispensing Feed Dispensing feed in bunks, effort and care must be taken to spread the material evenly throughout the entire bunk 33

34 Feeder Settings Daily observations can tell if the feeders are set properly excess feed around feeder the setting is open to much if feed is completely cleaned up, not enough of an opening is present 34

35 Objective #3 Describe the maintenance of feed handling systems. How are feed handling systems maintained? 35

36 Feed handling systems To function properly, proper maintenance of equipment must be followed adequate and timely adjustments, repair, lubrication, protection from weather, and proper clean-up determine life of equipment 36

37 Lubricant Important to select proper lubricant for the different parts of the machine should consider the function of each part has to perform daily inspection is essential to prolonged life of equipment 37

38 Repair Any loose, bent, or broken parts 38

39 Consult Operator s Manual Lubrication instructions locations of parts needing to be lubricated locate a lubrication chart and follow its directions use proper equipment and follow guidelines 39

40 Numerous types and varieties of equipment used Maintenance guidelines found in operator s manuals should be used as a guide for determining maintenance 40

41 Review How are feed handling systems operated? How are feed handling systems calibrated? How are feed handling systems maintained? 41