I am researching the application of zinc oxide nanoparticles in broiler chicken feed, while one of the challenges I face is how to mix and disperse the small amount of nanoparticles (1 to 20 ppm) in the feed formulation. Could you provide me a guidance or best practices on how to effectively mix zinc oxide nanoparticles at tiny levels in poultry feed to ensure uniformity and optimal distribution? Do you have any specific papers, techniques, or protocols to recommend to me?
You mix in several steps the pure material into the feed. The number of steps depends on the total amount of feed needed.
We usually started with mixing the pure material with one kg of feed by hand, then this one kg in a large mixer with 10-25 kg of feed and finally this amount with the rest in our 600 kg feedmill.
It all depends on the amount needed and the facilities available.
Thank you very much for your reply. But what if I mix the zinc oxide nanoparticles with oil and disperse them over the other feed ingredients by spray technique in a small mixer?
Also possible, but still do a stepwise dilution and mix every time for 20-30 minutes to ensure an even distribution.
Hello, basically, mixing very small amounts of studied materials into the ration requires a lot of precision and patience. Usually, mixing of very small amounts is done in a small volume and gradually during several stages of repetition until it reaches a significant volume and then it is added to the main tonnage.
Hello, in my opinion, the method of execution depends on the amount of sample and the efficiency of the mixer. Usually, one of the measurement indicators of mixers in the animal husbandry industry is the measurement of substances such as vitamins, enzymes and antibiotics in the sample extracted from the mixer, which must be accurately estimated, otherwise the work has not been done correctly. You can first add the required amount with one kilo and mix well, and then gradually increase the size of the samples to reach the desired level of the amount of food you need and continue the mixing stage. In addition, the method of spraying these particles on the feed sample may not be accurate enough. Thanks
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