A system for converting an irregular flow stream of solid particulates into a continuously flowing stream of solid particulates is disclosed. The system comprises a bin adapted to receive the irregular particulate flow stream. A level sensor is adapted to produce an output signal representative of the volume of particulates in the bin. The bin level controller has a set point corresponding to a desired level for the volume of particulates in the bin and is adapted to receive the output signal from the level sensor. The bin level controller produces a bin level control signal proportional to the deviation from the set point signal. A movable valve is positioned proximate the outlet adapted to modulate the particulate flow stream out of the bin and a valve controller is operatively associated with the valve. The valve controller is adapted to respond to bin level control signals from the bin level controller. The bin level controller is constructed and arranged to operate the valve such that the volume of particulates remains at the bin set point level to ensure a constant stream of particulates out of the bin through the outlet. Once the particulate flow stream is continuous and measured, it may be subjected to further operations such as proportional coating or mixing of additional constituents.

Static plant for preparing feed mixes for ruminant livestock, having a conveyor unit for conveying the feed mix ingredients, chain and/or screw feeders, feeders with weight sensors and supplementary conveyor belt, silos of solid ingredients, and silos of liquid ingredients, independently supplying two or more high-capacity mixers, via the conveyor unit by a dual flow, the mixers including weight control means, laser sensors and strain gauges. The invention allows for mixing to be controlled with increased accuracy and, consequently, improving the quality of the mix, using fully automated continuous operating cycles, the resulting mix being discharged onto any type of known device using discharging means, for its distribution.

This disclosure presents a reptile cricket powder mixer, which comprises a shell, including a primary shell with primary through-holes provided on its lower surface at an interval and a secondary shell which is movably mounted at the lower end of the primary shell and is used to store calcium powder; an upper cover, which is mounted at the upper end of the primary shell; a powder adjusting ring, which is fixed inside the secondary shell, and secondary through-holes are provided on the surface of the ring at an interval aligned with the primary through-holes. In this disclosure, by rotating the secondary shell, you can change the area of alignment of the primary through-holes with the secondary through-holes, so as to control the quantity of the powder entering to or from the first or the secondary shell, or to conveniently recycle any excessive powder in the primary shell.

A pet food cooker and mixer includes a housing within which is enclosed a motor and a removable mixing pot where the mixing pot is configured with curved walls and an open top, a longitudinal axis, and an outlet at one end. A mixer blade is driven by the motor and is configured with a shaft extending along the longitudinal axis within the mixing pot, the mixer blade comprising plurality of paddles extending radially from the shaft and configured to force food material toward the outlet and a scraper arm extending outward from the shaft, the scraper arm having a scraper paddle in contact with the curved walls. An extrusion auger is also driven by the motor and is configured to force food material through the outlet. The device is also configured with a heating element for heating the mixing pot.

A process to remove the glucosinolates of oilseed meals, such as Brassica carinata oilseed meals, is provided. In one embodiment, exogenous myrosinase is used to convert the glucosinolates to volatile isothiocyanate compounds, which can then be removed under conditions of mild heat and negative pressure. In another embodiment, heat and pressure are used to remove glucosinolates from Brassica carinata oilseed. The processed meals may contain less than 80% of their starting levels of glucosinolates and may be suitable for use in various applications, including as animal feeds.

A method is disclosed for producing an extruded daily ration feed product with a known concentration of diethylcarbamazine. The method involves mixing propylene glycol and diethylcarbamazine together to form an active blend with a predetermined ratio. The active blend and a feed mixture are then introduced into an extruder and forced through a die to form the extruded daily ration feed product. Inline near-infrared spectroscopy is used to detect the propylene glycol within the extruder. The detected level of propylene glycol is correlated to the concentration of diethylcarbamazine within the extruded daily ration feed product based on the predetermined ratio. This method provides a reliable and efficient way to ensure the desired concentration of diethylcarbamazine exists in the extruded daily ration feed product during the production process.

Provided is a processing apparatus for processing water-containing organic matters. The processing apparatus includes: a processing tank configured to store the water-containing organic matters; a stirring unit configured to stir the water-containing organic matters; a heater configured to heat the processing tank; an exhaust unit configured to exhaust gas from the processing tank at a rate from 1 m.sup.3/min to 300 m.sup.3/min; and an ion gas supply unit configured to supply ion gas into the processing tank with the exhaustion of the gas from the interior of the processing tank, the ion gas having an ion density of at least 2,000,000 pcs/cc, wherein the heater heats an interior of the processing tank while the stirring unit stirs the water-containing organic matters, and the ion gas is supplied into the processing tank according to the exhaustion by the exhaust unit, whereby processing the water-containing organic matters.

Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.

A microingredient feed additive dispensing apparatus and method for adding microingredients to animal feed are described. The apparatus includes a frame, a microingredient receptacle with a front portion and a rear portion, a receptacle mount that mounts the receptacle to the frame, a plurality of microingredient bins oriented above the receptacle, one or more empty-receptacle-detecting sensors arranged along the front portion of the receptacle, and a driver coupled to the receptacle to feed the microingredients toward and over an exit boundary of the receptacle. Microingredients are concurrently dispensed from bins into the receptacle. The amount of the microingredients dispensed from each microingredient bin is calculated and controlled. One or more empty-collection-feeder sensors determine whether and when the collection feeder is empty, without weighing the whole collection bin. The apparatus and method provide a more efficient and accurate way to add microingredients to animal feed.

Disclosed herein is a process for producing an animal feed having a defined nutritional profile from food waste. The process comprises accumulating successive batches of a plurality of food wastes that have been macerated and dehydrated, every batch of each of the plurality of food wastes having been sourced from the same one of a plurality of categorized producers of food waste and maintained separately at all times from others of the plurality of food wastes; independently mixing each of the accumulated batches of the macerated and dehydrated food wastes to produce a plurality of homogenized ingredients for an animal feed; analysing each of the homogenized ingredients to determine one or more nutritional parameters of the ingredient; and blending two or more of the homogenized ingredients to produce the animal feed having a defined nutritional profile.