A feed mixer apparatus that includes a mixing chamber for receiving feed material, and having a mixing element situated therein for mixing the feed material; a transmission having a plurality of gears and connected with a mixing element; a plurality of mixing chamber sensors positioned to sense at least one of the volume and the level of feed material in the mixing chamber; a control unit having a display and a plurality of user inputs, wherein the control unit is in at least indirect communication with the transmission and the sensors, and wherein the control unit receives a plurality of outputs from one or more of the transmission and sensors, and based at least in part on the plurality of outputs, provides an output command to effectuate a gear change in the transmission.

High Specific Mechanical Energy extruder screw assemblies (14, 88, 98) and complete extruders (10, 86, 96) are provided, which include wide-flight intermediate screw sections (104) having axial flight widths greater than the flight widths of the inlet and outlet screw sections (102, 106) on opposite sides of the intermediate sections (104). The intermediate sections (104) provide increased friction and shear serving to enhance the SMEs imparted to comestible food materials during processing thereof.

High Specific Mechanical Energy extruder screw assemblies (14, 88, 98) and complete extruders (10, 86, 96) are provided, which include wide-flight intermediate screw sections (104) having axial flight widths greater than the flight widths of the inlet and outlet screw sections (102, 106) on opposite sides of the intermediate sections (104). The intermediate sections (104) provide increased friction and shear serving to enhance the SMEs imparted to comestible food materials during processing thereof.

A horizontal mixer for mixing bulk material, such as agricultural material, is provided. The horizontal mixer includes a mixing container for accommodating bulk agricultural material to be mixed. The mixing container includes side walls connected at their bottom edges by a trough; a front wall spanning a front side of the container; a rear wall spanning a rear side of the container; and an exit door through which mixed agricultural material can exit. Further, one or more bottom augers situated longitudinally in the trough, wherein at least one of the one or more bottom augers is a ribbon auger; and one or more top augers situated longitudinally in the mixing container stacked above the one or more bottom ribbon augers. The trough has a shape to accommodate the one or more bottom ribbon augers.

A self-sharpening knife used inside an agricultural machine to cut and mix balls of hay or other food destined for animals consumption. The knife comprises a generally triangular steel plate whose base is right or rounded. The base is provided with a series of teeth, each of the teeth includes a pastille made of a material harder than steel and self-sharpening. The pastilles end by a cutting edge having a contour which forms the cutting edge of a tooth.

The width of a pastille exceeds that of the steel and ends in a point which becomes round over cuts because of wear. The pastilles wearing out less quickly than steel thus causing that over cuts the width of the pastilles will always exceed the width of the steel. The pastilles cut until all their length and width are worn. The material of the pastille can be carbide or diamond.

In order to provide a feed mixture, a feed mixer is proposed which has a container. The container has a bottom and a wall which is connected to the bottom and delimits a filling opening, the area of which is greater than the area of the bottom. A rotatable auger is provided which can be rotated about an axis, the axis running substantially perpendicularly with respect to the bottom. The feed mixer has a pivoting device which is intended and suitable for pivoting the container during a mixing operation, in particular after a predefined time period or after a predefined number of revolutions of the at least one auger.

An appliance for preparing animal feed, includes a housing, a mixing chamber designed to receive a portion of dehydrated feed and a liquid portion, mobile mixer arranged in the mixing chamber, a consumption chamber, wherein the mixing chamber is removable from the preparation appliance, wherein the mixing chamber, once mounted on the preparation appliance: is rotatable in order to pass from a position mixing the feed ration to a position dispensing the feed ration, and has a gripping portion which protrudes from the housing.

A preparation apparatus for preparing feed for animals, includes a first storage container for storing a dehydrated feed, a second storage container for storing a liquid such as water, mixing chamber, a mixer for mixing the dehydrated feed and the liquid in order to form a feed ration in paste form, and a consumption container arranged to receive the feed ration, wherein the mixing chamber includes an opening, the mixing chamber is mounted movable relative to the preparation apparatus, so as to move from a first position to a second position.

An ozone supply device is described for generating ozone and supplying the ozone to a livestock feed system for application to livestock feed to sanitize the feed. The device includes an intake port for receiving air from outside the device, an ozone generator for receiving air from the intake port and converting oxygen in the air to ozone, an ozone compressor intake for receiving ozone produced by the ozone generator, a compressor pump for compressing ozone received through the ozone compressor intake, and an ozone supply line for transmitting compressed ozone to a livestock feed system for application to the livestock feed. The device also includes an ozone meter and display, a timer, an inverter, and one or more housings. An adapter is interconnectable between the livestock feed system and the ozone supply line of the ozone supply device to connect them together.

Metastable state spore incubation mixing systems are described. An example system includes a spores container to store spores, a nutrient container to store nutrients, a water supply line, a syringe tank, a syringe pump, an adjustable valve, a heater, and a controller. In a drawing phase of the system, a controller can cause the syringe pump and the adjustable valve to draw into the syringe tank a volume of spores, nutrients, and water to form a mixture. The controller causes the heater to heat the mixture for a period of time. In a dispensing phase of the system, the controller can cause the syringe pump to expel the mixture through the adjustable valve and into a water distribution system. The controller can direct the system through a number of other phases of operation.