Feed/Forage

We frequently test alfalfa hay, grass hay, corn silage, mixed rations, supplements, and other feeds. If you need a hay test you’ve come to the right place.

NIR services for Alfalfa, Grass Hay, and other Forages

The fastest way to get your feed tested is one of our NIR packages. We can generally get results to you in a single business day.

  • Our Basic NIR package costs $17. This package includes moisture, protein (CP), fiber (ADF, NDF), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg). The basic NIR is designed for millet, oat, wheat, sudex, grass hay, and alfalfa. This package is suitable for most forage on beef cattle ranches. TDN is always calculated, RFV is calculated for grass and alfalfa.
  • The NIR RFQ package is $18. It includes everything in the basic package and adds lignin, ash, fat, and fiber digestibility (dNDF48). These tests are required for us to calculate your RFQ number. This package is well suited for high producing dairy cattle. TDN, RFV, RFQ, and NEL are calculated.
  • The Equine RFV package is $20. This package includes moisture, protein (CP), fiber (ADF, NDF), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg), as well as sugars and water soluble carbohydrates (WSC). If your horse is suffering from EMS or laminitis, or you are feeding a high starch ration, we recommend upgrading to the Equine NSC package (NSC = non-structural carbohydrates) for $30. This package provides a starch determination via wet chemistry.

NIR Services for Corn Silage

  • Our NIR TDN package costs $18 and includes moisture, protein (CP), fiber (ADF, NDF), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), lignin, ash, fat, fiber digestibility (dNDF48), and starch.
  • The NIR TDN Complete package includes everything in the TDN package above and adds titratable acidity and titrimetric lactic and acetic acid determinations. The NIR TDN Complete costs $24.
  • Our NIR TDN w/ CSPS package (CSPS = Corn Silage Processing Score) includes everything in the TDN Complete package and adds CSPS with wet chem starch determination. Corn Silage with higher CSPS is easier for animals to digest. Costs $38.

Wet Chemistry

We have a full wet chem laboratory and can analyze any feed type using these methods. Wet chemistry is much more involved and typically takes 4-5 business days for our common packages. We run nitrates every day so these are typically finished in 1-2 business days. A wet chemistry analysis can be rushed for a fee. Wet chemistry mineral analyses are always more accurate than NIR mineral estimates.

  • Wet RFV. This package includes Moisture, Protein, ADF, and NDF. TDN is always calculated, RFV is calculated for grass and alfalfa.
  • Guaranteed Analaysis. This package includes Moisture, Protein, Crude Fiber, and Crude Fat.
  • Four Minerals package. This package includes Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), and Magnesium (Mg) by wet chemistry.
  • Nine Minerals package. Includes everything in the Four Minerals package and adds sodium (Na), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu).
  • Macrominerals package (includes DCAD dietary cation anion difference). This package includes Ash, Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Sulfur (S), and Chloride (Cl). This package includes all of the minerals that cows typically need at gram levels and is also recommended for Goats, Horses, Poultry, and Sheep.
  • Comprehensive minerals package. This package includes Ash, Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Sulfur (S), Chloride (Cl), Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), and Copper (Cu). This package is great for all animals including Swine. Note that we don’t include a few micronutrients: Selenium, Molybdenum, and Cobalt which some animals may require (these must be added a-la-carte).
  • TMR Basic. This package includes Moisture, Protein, Fibers (ADF, NDF), Fat, Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Magnesium (Mg), and Potassium (K). TDN is always calculated, RFV is calculated for grass and alfalfa.
  • TMR Complete. This package includes Moisture, Protein, Fibers (ADF, NDF), Fat, Ash, Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Sulfur (S), Chloride (Cl), and a wet chemistry Starch determination. TDN is always calculated, RFV is calculated for grass and alfalfa.

Toxins

  • Nitrates. We run nitrates every day because so many types of forage accumulate nitrogen. After an unexpected frost or hailstorm plants may take in extra nitrogen to repair themselves. At extreme nitrate levels spontaneous miscarriage can occur. At even higher levels they may develop methemoglobinemia where hemoglobin can no longer transport oxygen and the animals die.
  • Mycotoxins. We can test for mycotoxins, toxic metabolites of fungi (mold). We are currently equipped for Aflatoxins and Vomitoxins (DON) by immunochromatographic assay.
  • Prussic Acid (HCN). Prussic acid prevents many animal cells from receiving oxygen (they affect iron-containing respiratory enzymes). Fresh standing forages that are intended for grazing (especially sorghum and sudan grass) are the highest risk for Prussic Acid. Prussic acid tends to evaporate once the forage dries out.

When sampling hay you should get 20 hay cores per sample at one core per bale of hay… this amounts to a 1-gallon ziploc® bag halfway full.

We dry and grind all of our samples and typically store them for one year free of charge. If you want to add an analysis, simply contact us.

If all you need is Dry Matter we have a special service for that.

For our latest services and pricing see our services and pricing guide.

We have hay and soil probes which we rent out for $5/day. We provide sample bags if needed. For additional questions concerning sampling see our sampling guide.

If you have any issues with the website please contact us. Image/Video attribution available as well.