The performance of livestock farms and complexes largely depends on the quality of feed preparation for feeding. It is proved that feeding efficiency is increased with the use of feed mixtures in the diet, which allows to increase animal performance, to reduce feeding period and feed consumption per production unit. Despite of the wide use of different types of mixers, their working process is understudied, and therefore the study of influence of design and technological parameters of mixers on the quality characteristics of mixture is the crucial task. The aim of the study is the improvement of technological process of feed mixtures preparation in a horizontal ribbon mixer by improving quality of mixing and reducing energy intensity of working process. Experimental studies of a horizontal ribbon mixer were carried out in the laboratory of mechanization of animal husbandry at the Zonal Research Institute of Agriculture of the North-East. For the studies, the mixture consisting of a basis (80% of barley and 20% of rye) and a control component (pea) was used. The implementation of multifactorial experiment allows to obtain approximate mathematical models of the process, that link together all the factors taken into account. Experimental studies allow to determine the numerical values of coefficients of regression equations, by which it is possible to assess the degree of influence of relevant factors. During the tests, Box-Behnken design matrix was implemented. According to the results, the maximum value of the uniformity coefficient of finished product is 86,1%, which meets the zootechnical requirements for feeding of cattle and poultry, and is achieved in the presence of 620 kg of basis and 146 kg of control component in the mixture. The mixing time is 4 minutes, and the throughput capacity of mixer is 5,75 t/h, when the specific energy consumption is 1,55 kilowatt-hours per ton.

The final operation of feed mixtures preparation is the mixing of components in special devices - mixers of batch or continuous type. From the zootechnical point of view, it is important not only to introduce the components in the feed mix into the required ratio, but it is also necessary that they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. It is especially important to distribute in the mass of the feed mixture components that are introduced in small amounts and have high feed value or biological activity: mixed fodders, protein-vitamin supplements (PVS), premixes, vitamins, trace elements, medicines, etc. In the Livestock mechanization Laboratory of North-East scientific research Institute of agriculture the theoretical and experimental studies of a horizontal auger belt auger are carried out. The results of experimental studies show that the maximum value of the homogeneity coefficient of the finished product is nn=83.57%, with the flow capacity of the mixer being equal to Q=5.75 tons per hectare, specific energy consumption q=1.67 kilowatt per ton.