6 Best Mixing Tanks for Livestock Feed

Watching the feed store receipt grow longer and more expensive is a familiar feeling for any livestock owner. Pre-bagged mineral supplements are convenient, but that convenience comes at a steep price. Taking control of your mineral program by mixing your own is one of the most effective ways to cut costs and precisely tailor nutrition to your animals’ needs.

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Why You Should Mix Your Own Livestock Minerals

The biggest reason to mix your own minerals is simple: cost. You can often source the base ingredients like salt, calcium, and phosphorus for a fraction of the price of a branded bag. You’re no longer paying for marketing, bagging, and a company’s overhead. That money stays in your pocket or gets reinvested into your farm.

Beyond savings, custom mixing gives you complete control. If you live in a selenium-deficient area, you can adjust your recipe accordingly. If your goats need more copper but your sheep can’t have it, you can create separate, perfectly balanced formulas. This level of precision is impossible with off-the-shelf products and leads directly to healthier, more productive animals.

Making the switch requires a bit of research and a reliable way to mix everything evenly. The initial investment in a mixer and ingredients can feel like a hurdle, but the long-term savings and improved animal health pay for it many times over. It’s a classic example of putting in a little work upfront for a massive payoff down the road.

Kushlan UBM-350: A Versatile, Portable Mixer

Sometimes, a tool designed for one job is perfect for another. The Kushlan UBM-350 is a small, electric concrete mixer, but its lightweight design and polyethylene drum make it an outstanding choice for mixing minerals. Because the drum is plastic, you never have to worry about the corrosive salt and minerals causing rust.

This mixer hits a sweet spot for many hobby farmers. It’s large enough to mix a 50-pound bag of minerals with ease but small and light enough for one person to move around the barn or workshop. It runs on standard 110V power, so you can plug it in just about anywhere.

The easy-to-clean drum is a significant advantage. A quick rinse with a hose is all it takes to prevent cross-contamination between batches, which is critical if you’re mixing different formulas for different species. For someone with a mid-sized goat herd, a flock of sheep, or a few cows, the Kushlan offers a professional-grade mix without a huge footprint or price tag.

Tuff Stuff Stock Tank for Simple Manual Mixing

You don’t always need a machine to get the job done. For those with very small flocks or anyone just dipping their toes into custom mineral mixing, a heavy-duty stock tank and a shovel are all you need. The Tuff Stuff brand is famously durable and its wide, shallow shape is ideal for getting in there and mixing thoroughly.

The process is straightforward: dump your ingredients in and start turning them over with a clean spade or flat-nosed shovel. The key is to be methodical. Scrape the bottom and sides, pile the mix in the center, and flatten it back out repeatedly until you have a consistent color and texture throughout. This method is labor-intensive, but the startup cost is practically zero.

This approach is perfect for mixing 25 or 50 pounds at a time for a handful of animals. It’s not efficient for large quantities, and it’s easy to get an uneven mix if you rush. But for testing a new recipe or supplying a few backyard sheep, it’s a practical and budget-friendly starting point.

SpeeCo Auger: A Creative, Multi-Purpose Tool

Here’s a solution that uses a tool you might already own. A simple garden or post-hole auger bit, like those made by SpeeCo, attached to a powerful half-inch drill can transform a 55-gallon drum or a large muck bucket into an effective power mixer. This is a brilliant step up from pure manual labor without investing in a dedicated mixing machine.

The auger does the heavy work of lifting and folding the ingredients. You simply secure your container, add the minerals, and use the drill to churn the contents. It’s surprisingly effective at breaking up clumps and achieving a uniform blend in just a few minutes. You’ll need a low-speed, high-torque drill to avoid burning out the motor.

This method is a testament to farmer ingenuity. It saves your back and ensures a more consistent mix than you can get with a shovel. Just be sure to wear safety glasses and maintain a firm grip on the drill, as the auger can bind unexpectedly in a dense mix.

CountyLine 3-Point Mixer for Larger Batches

For the hobby farmer with a compact tractor, a 3-point hitch cement mixer is the answer for large-scale mineral mixing. Models like those from CountyLine attach directly to your tractor’s 3-point hitch and run off the PTO. This setup gives you serious mixing power and capacity.

This is the right tool when you’re mixing hundreds of pounds at a time. If you have a small herd of cattle or are supplying a large group of pastured hogs, mixing by hand or with a small electric mixer is simply not practical. A PTO-driven mixer can blend a full batch in minutes, allowing you to produce a month’s supply of minerals in a single afternoon.

Of course, this option only makes sense if you already have the tractor. It’s a significant piece of equipment. But if you do, it’s arguably the most efficient and labor-saving method available for producing homemade minerals at scale.

DIY 55-Gallon Barrel Roller for Small Flocks

The ultimate do-it-yourself solution is a barrel roller. All it takes is a food-grade 55-gallon plastic drum with a locking lid and a simple wooden cradle to hold it. By adding a few internal baffles—just a few lengths of angle iron bolted inside—the ingredients are forced to tumble and fold, not just slide.

You can roll it by hand across a level floor or get creative by building a stand with casters. The mixing action is gentle but very effective. It’s an excellent choice for blending 50- to 100-pound batches without electricity or intense physical labor.

The key to success is a drum with a tight-sealing lid to prevent fine mineral dust from escaping. This method is incredibly low-cost, especially if you can source a used barrel locally. It’s a simple, reliable machine you can build in an afternoon that will serve your farm for years.

Yardmax YM0115: A Durable, High-Capacity Mixer

If you like the idea of an electric mixer but need something more rugged than a poly-drum model, the Yardmax YM0115 is a solid choice. This mixer features a heavy-gauge steel drum and a sturdy frame built to withstand the rigors of farm use. It’s a workhorse.

With a larger capacity than many portable models, the Yardmax can handle bigger batches, making it a good fit for those with diverse livestock needs. The steel drum is exceptionally durable, but it does require more care. You’ll need to clean and dry it thoroughly after each use to prevent rust from the corrosive minerals.

This mixer represents a trade-off: you get enhanced durability and capacity in exchange for more weight and the need for diligent maintenance. For farmers who anticipate heavy use or are mixing abrasive ingredients, the longevity of a steel drum is a compelling reason to choose a model like this.

Proper Mixing and Safe Mineral Storage Tips

No matter which mixer you choose, your technique is what ensures the final product is safe and effective. An uneven mix can be dangerous, creating "hot spots" where an animal could ingest a toxic amount of a trace mineral like selenium or copper. The goal is always a perfectly homogenous blend.

A professional trick is to use a pre-mix. Start by blending your smallest-volume ingredients (like trace minerals) into a larger carrier, such as a few pounds of salt or calcium carbonate. Mix this small batch thoroughly first, then add it to the rest of your bulk ingredients in the main mixer. This ensures those critical but tiny components are evenly distributed.

Once mixed, proper storage is non-negotiable.

• Store minerals in a dry, secure location away from direct sunlight.
• Use sealed, rodent-proof containers like 5-gallon buckets with gasket lids or a dedicated bin.
• Clearly label every batch with the date it was mixed and the recipe used.Moisture is the enemy; it causes clumping and can degrade the quality of your supplement over time.

Ultimately, the best mixing tank is the one that fits your scale, budget, and workflow. By moving away from expensive pre-made bags and taking control of your livestock’s nutrition, you’re making a smart investment in both your animals’ health and your farm’s bottom line.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a mixing tank for livestock feed?

A mixing tank for livestock feed is a specialized vessel designed to blend liquid, dry, or semi-solid ingredients into a uniform nutritional ration for animals. These tanks typically range from 50 to 5,000 gallons and feature mechanical impellers, augers, or recirculating pumps. Farmers use them to combine grains, liquid molasses, soluble vitamins, and milk replacers into consistent batches for dairy cows, beef cattle, or swine.

What does an agitator do inside a livestock feed mixing tank?

Agitators provide mechanical force inside a livestock feed mixing tank to continuously stir ingredients, preventing heavy solids from settling out of liquid suspensions. They utilize spinning blades, paddles, or ribbons powered by electric motors or hydraulic drives operating between 30 and 350 RPM. This continuous motion ensures micro-nutrients, medication, and fats remain evenly distributed throughout the slurry so every animal receives an identical dosage.

How do you clean a liquid mixing tank for livestock feed?

Clean a liquid livestock feed mixing tank by performing an immediate warm-water pre-rinse, scrubbing with an alkaline detergent, and rinsing thoroughly with clean water. Flush the tank with 120-degree Fahrenheit water right after emptying to prevent molasses or milk solids from baking onto tank walls. Once a week, circulate a food-grade acid sanitizer or chlorine solution through the spray nozzles to eliminate bacterial biofilms and mold growth.

How long does it take to mix feed in a batch mixing tank?

Mixing a standard batch of livestock feed in a dedicated tank takes between 3 and 15 minutes, depending on ingredient density and tank design. Simple liquid supplements, like molasses blends and soluble vitamins, generally achieve a uniform state in 3 to 5 minutes. Thicker slurries containing dry grains, forage meal, or milk powders require 8 to 15 minutes of continuous agitation to eliminate dry pockets.

Which is better between stainless steel and polyethylene mixing tanks for livestock feed?

Polyethylene mixing tanks are better for small-to-midsize farms on a budget, whereas stainless steel tanks are superior for high-volume, abrasive, or heated feed operations. High-density polyethylene models resist corrosive additives like urea and cost 50 to 70 percent less than metal tanks. However, 304 or 316 stainless steel tanks offer greater structural rigidity, handle boiling water washdowns, and resist physical gouging from coarse minerals over decades of use.

How much does a commercial mixing tank for livestock feed cost?

Commercial mixing tanks for livestock feed generally cost between $1,500 for small rotational poly units and upward of $35,000 for heavy-duty stainless steel industrial systems. A basic 100-gallon conical poly tank with a top-mount electric mixer costs around $2,000 to $4,500. Fully automated systems exceeding 1,000 gallons with digital load cells, heating jackets, and variable-speed hydraulic motors easily run between $15,000 and $40,000.

Why is dry feed clumping at the bottom of a livestock feed mixing tank?

Dry feed clumps at the bottom of a mixing tank when ingredients are added out of order or when agitator speeds are set too low. Adding dry milk replacer, fine powders, or ground grain into an empty tank before introducing water causes bridging around the discharge drain. To fix this, always fill the tank with at least 50 percent of the base liquid and engage the mixer before pouring dry ingredients across the vortex.

Is an electric heated mixing tank worth it for feeding calves in winter?

Heated mixing tanks are worth the investment for calf operations in cold climates because they prevent milk replacer from cooling below the optimal drinking temperature. Calves require milk fed between 101 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit for proper digestion and to avoid hypothermia in freezing weather. Built-in heating elements maintain this target temperature during long feeding routes, preventing nutrient loss and reducing scours caused by cold feeds.