Forage Analysis experts

[sonjafoers]

I've just been looking on the ForagePlus site and typed out a long email full of questions only to find their server has crashed and it disappeared somewhere never to be seen again. I now can't get back on the site so can anyone answer any of the following please:

If I want a comprehensive analysis plus feed plan for 3 horses do I have to pay for the grazing analysis, haylage analysis and a plan for all 3? If so that's about £200.

My horses graze over 6 fields ( approx 25 acres ) so would I have to get a sample for each?

How often does this get repeated throughout the year because I have read somewhere the analysis will be different at varying stages of grass growth.

I buy small bale bagged haylage and guess this is cut from different fields throughout the year so the analysis will only be accurate per batch. How do you get around this?

Phew my head's spinning, thanks in advance

 

[Nightwatcher]

No help but watching with interest as I have been planning on having this done.

 

[sonjafoers]

Anyone?

 

[Polos Mum]

We had our soil tested we wanted to see what would make the grass grow better so needed to know what was in the soil.

Different things are taken up into the grass but I feed a broad spectrum vit and min supplement so I'm less concerned with what the horses are eating. So I can't help with the grass testing questions.

We have 12 acres split into 5 fields - we sampled from one field (and plan to do a different one each year - don't have endless money) on the basis that they won't be that different! And interestingly our neighbour farmer who has his soil tested several miles away has broadly similar findings so I'm not sure field to field will make much difference.

Key question is why do you want to know and what will you do with the results - that should help decide what you need to test

 

[Brightbay]

Not an expert, but I have had my forage tested and I did use Forageplus, so will have a go at answering.

First, my understanding is that you analyse forage rather than soil because fields grazed by horses (rather than e.g. fields where farmers grow forage for hay/haylage) contain a large variety of species of grasses etc., and these tend to take up mineral in different ways. So even if you know the minerals in the soil, this may not tell you what your horse is eating

Second, you would pay for one "test" (yes, you would need to sample evenly across all fields where your horses graze, although if they're very geographically distant, it might make sense to do more than one test - I did a single test to cover our entire 9 acre field, although at the moment the horses are only grazing 3 acres of it). Feed plans take the mineral analysis result into account, but also everything else the horse is eating, plus what size it is. So unless you have identically sized horses eating an identical diet, then you need a separate feed plan for each horse

Third, the analysis does not cover grass sugars unless you specifically want that covered - this will be what will vary depending on time of year, although magnesium, chlorides, potassium will also vary to some extent, but I don't think this will affect what you feed much).

The haylage is difficult. I don't include hay in our analysis - I just keep feeding the same minerals, since the horses eat mainly grass, but with some added hay between January/March, so the minerals added remain fairly constant, but with a bit of Vitamin E added when they're on winter grass + hay.

And finally, I am just off to have a quiet scream, due to the pop up ad on the top right of my screen having popped up FIVE times during the typing of this post

ETA make that 6 And try contacting Sarah via Facebook if the website is down.

 

[sonjafoers]

Thank you brightbay that's pretty much answered everything but I'm a bit jealous because I don't have a pop up!! I was hoping I could sample from each field but just do one test to get a broad picture but I didn't realise the results would be pretty much the same summer & winter - I thought the minerals would change seasonally with the sugar but I'm a complete numpty at this & thinking about it I'm not sure I'm being very logical.

I will need 3 feed plans then as they are all very different but the 2nd & 3rd aren't that expensive compared to the outlay for 1 feed plan plus all the analysis. It's just the haylage issue that I need to be sure on so I'll try Facebook like you suggest - thank you.

Polos Mum I'm looking into this to work out what to feed my girls rather than testing the soil for grass growth so I think I'll have to fork out for the whole kaboodle. It's interesting that your neighbouring farmer has broadly the same results as you so I should be ok with just one test for all fields, they're all linked and approx 25 acres in all.