Sources:
Feed analysis | Farms
Feed analysis | Horse Information Center
Taking a feed sample | Horse Information Center
Feed analysis of hay, part 2 | Hevosinfo
Photo: Pixabay
Category_Uutiset ·
heinä ·
hevoset ·
raakavalkuainen ·
rehuanalyysi ·
rehut ·
ruokinta ·
ruokintasuunnitelma ·
tuotteet ·
What does feed analysis tell us?
When planning a diet for horses, it is primarily based on the intended use of the horse. Naturally, a horse used for competition needs a different diet than, for example, a broodmare or a hobby pony that gains weight easily. When creating a diet plan, it is important to know what to feed the horse, in what quantity and for what reason.
If your own expertise is not enough, help is available from equine professionals to create feeding plans. However, in order to map out feeding in a way that is most beneficial, feed analysis must be available for the concentrates and hay used. It is also equally important to know how to interpret and apply the results of the feed analysis to the actual feeding. So what information does a feed analysis yield?
Why do a feed analysis?
Feed analysis can be performed on all feeds, such as silage, dry hay, feed grains or other special feeds. Since roughage is the most important part of a horse's diet, all other feeding should be based on it. The task of feed analysis is to determine the dry matter, crude protein, fiber content, feed values, minerals and trace elements from a sample. The more water the feed contains, the lower its dry matter content. Therefore, more feed must be given. The NIR feed analysis package contains all the most important information about dry matter for horse feeding. The parameters of one company that performs the analyses have been calculated using a Swedish calculation made specifically for horses. The digestible crude protein takes into account the differences in the digestion of horses compared to cattle, which ruminate. Only straw cannot be analyzed for sugar using NIR analysis.
In addition to these, the preservative and hygienic quality of silage can be determined. The hygienic, or microbiological, quality is described by the content of bacteria, mold, and yeast spores in the feed. Feeding moldy feed may cause respiratory diseases, allergies, digestive disorders, gasping, or diarrhea in horses. In addition, poor-quality silage can cause botulism poisoning in horses. The sugar content obtained through analysis affects the palatability and energy value of the feed. The normal sugar content is considered to be 50–150 g/kg of dry matter. The sugar content in silage may be higher than in dry hay due to the shorter pre-drying time, and this in turn can cause, among other things, intestinal disorders, hoof fever, and muscle stiffness in horses.
It is worth having a feed analysis done on at least the largest batches of roughage. When feed is sold and bought, the analysis acts as a kind of guarantee for the feed on the market. This way, it can be concluded from the feed analysis even before the purchase decision whether the feed is suitable for feeding the horses in the stable in question. It is precisely because of the sugar values mentioned earlier that many horse owners want an analysis of hay, so that the lowest sugar option can be chosen for the most sensitive horses.
Sample for feed analysis
The aim of feed analysis is to map the feed batch in question as well as possible. For this reason, several subsamples are taken from the batch. The samples are collected by hand in a clean container and finally mixed carefully. Samples of hay are taken from different bales and from different sides of the warehouse. Samples of baled silage are taken by drilling or otherwise collecting from different sides of the bale during its opening phase. The sample is carefully packed in a sealed plastic bag and an accompanying card is filled out accordingly. The accompanying card includes customer information, sample numbers and desired analyses, as well as which animal group the feed is being fed to.
When it comes to horse feed, the digestible crude protein content is also determined. Digestible crude protein tells the horse how much protein is in the feed that is usable. This part of the protein is digested and absorbed in the digestive tract.
Some feed analysis companies offer separate horse feed analyses. These analyze the most important nutrients that affect horse feeding planning, i.e. dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, feed values, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, iron and sugar content. Feed analysis can also be supplemented with mineral determinations or, if necessary, an additional trace element package. There are several feed analysis companies, such as SeiLab and Eurofins.
When making a feeding plan, it is a good idea to choose high-quality feeds for feeding. Learn about Biohansa's feed products via this link . Remember to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to receive information about new products and current topics in your email. Also give feedback on which topics you would like to read about on Biohansa's blog!
Sources:
Feed analysis | Farms
Feed analysis | Horse Information Center
Taking a feed sample | Horse Information Center
Feed analysis of hay, part 2 | Hevosinfo
Photo: Pixabay
Sources:
Feed analysis | Farms
Feed analysis | Horse Information Center
Taking a feed sample | Horse Information Center
Feed analysis of hay, part 2 | Hevosinfo
Photo: Pixabay
