I've done this (feed fiber in sideways on the drum carder) since I took a workshop with Judith MacKenzie McCuin last summer, and found that it was a great way to deal with fibers that want to clump under many circumstances (silk and the long-staple cellulosic fibers). It solved some of the immediate problems we in the workshop were facing (some very sticky dyed flax top), and I noticed that I got a nicer, more thorough blend when blending disparate fibers such as silk and mohair. However, this isn't the only way I put stuff into the drum carder--other times I'll pick a fleece and just throw handfuls of picked fleece in. About the only thing I don't do is carefully feed the locks in tip- or butt-first: if I want everything aligned, I'll use my combs.
It's simply one more "trick" for that magic bag of tricks every spinner has for turning animal hair and plant fibers into finished yarn. Dawn Jacobson http://dtjacobson.blogspot.com/ Ravelryid: dtjacobson
