Forage analysis

[scats]

Any recommendations of places that do this?

 

[GinaGeo]

Forage plus did mine. I was pleased with the service ?

 

[chaps89]

Forage plus do an all signing all dancing one (the basic version of which is £45ish, the super fancy version quite a bit more)
I’ve just gone with Dodson and Horrell who will do a much more basic analysis for £11ish. I figured for that much knowing a little is better than nothing

 

[scats]

Forage plus do an all signing all dancing one (the basic version of which is £45ish, the super fancy version quite a bit more)
I’ve just gone with Dodson and Horrell who will do a much more basic analysis for £11ish. I figured for that much knowing a little is better than nothing

Im mostly interested in sugar and starch levels in hay. Is this included?

 

[chaps89]

D&H do a basic sugar reading, forage plus do the more desirable nsc/wsc readings.
I figured being horse based it was likely to be more expensive than what farmers pay for so I did some Googling to see if I could find anyone else - I found one uni that does it but how to actually arrange it was vague and just lots of websites selling the equipment for farmers to do it themselves - so maybe if you have a pet farmer to hand they might be able to help? Otherwise those two were the only ones I could find when I looked earlier this week.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Forageplus do two different ones for hay. A mineral analysis and one that tells you sugar, starch and protein type things.

 

[Melandmary]

Inwent with forage plus, juat the basic one to make sure my hay was low enough sugar and starch not have to soak. Very happy with the service and money well spent as saving alot now i'm not having to buy small bagged haylage ?

 

[Kaylum]

You need to be aware that it can vary from the same field, different parts of the field are wetter than others. The ones the farmers do is once a year not from the different cuts. So it's not an accurate picture of what your feeding.

 

[SantaVera]

Forage plus

 

[SEL]

Topspec do a basic one for their customers if you ask - a friend used them recently.

 

[LEC]

I keep thinking about this but ultimately is it going to change what I do which is judge through behaviour, weigh tape and eye?

I keep thinking about hygiene test but ultimately they will still be fed it as can’t afford to replace 96 bales of homemade. Think I am probably better off doing soil tests and improving the output into the haylage.
I would be interested in anyone who has had it done what it changed?

 

[GinaGeo]

I keep thinking about this but ultimately is it going to change what I do which is judge through behaviour, weigh tape and eye?

I keep thinking about hygiene test but ultimately they will still be fed it as can’t afford to replace 96 bales of homemade. Think I am probably better off doing soil tests and improving the output into the haylage.
I would be interested in anyone who has had it done what it changed?

I had a very interesting conversation with the Forageplus lady on this subject whilst discussing my haylage analysis. Their suggestions were based on improving the land to meet the horse needs. As opposed to maximising land output which is what many of the agricultural tests aim to do.

I don't make my own forage, so it was all hypothetical in that regard, but I am working to achieve the best pasture I can.

 

[SEL]

I keep thinking about this but ultimately is it going to change what I do which is judge through behaviour, weigh tape and eye?

I keep thinking about hygiene test but ultimately they will still be fed it as can’t afford to replace 96 bales of homemade. Think I am probably better off doing soil tests and improving the output into the haylage.
I would be interested in anyone who has had it done what it changed?

I think its more important for those of us who have metabolic horses or fatties who could really do without soaking hay. That's all I ever check for, just to get an idea as to whether its going to be OK. Did a batch when we were on livery at a RS many years back and it came back around 17% - I suspected a problem and was already soaking thankfully

 

[LEC]

I think its more important for those of us who have metabolic horses or fatties who could really do without soaking hay. That's all I ever check for, just to get an idea as to whether its going to be OK. Did a batch when we were on livery at a RS many years back and it came back around 17% - I suspected a problem and was already soaking thankfully

In that case I don't need to think about it. I only have sport horses and none have any metabolic issues.

 

[PurBee]

In that case I don't need to think about it. I only have sport horses and none have any metabolic issues.

As youre not bothered about sugars, calcium/phosphorus forage test would be useful to know, as thats a key dietary ratio for skeletal health/strength, aswell as many other functions. Having that balanced in younger horses, helps their later years.
As the horses are mostly eating forage i’d really want to know what imbalances, if any, of these key minerals, which will guide external supplementation outside of forage intake.

You could get a calcium blood test of the horse and it wont show the real picture as the body will rob from bones to keep the ideal calcium level in the blood. Only a bone density scan will give a clearer picture of the forage/diet providing balanced calcium/phosphorus - the cost of the scan probably is comparable to a field and forage mineral test - yet those tests will yield more mineral balance insights than a bone scan.

Soil tests are very useful moreso, for macro/micro minerals - worth spending out on it if all your land is roughly the same type. Then you know your forage contains minerals which you might be adding externally when you dont need to.

knowing p.h. Of soil is most important - as its only a narrow ph band that the grass will uptake sufficiently all the minerals in the soil - so ideal to head for PH6.5-ph7 for decent phos./mag./copper/zinc levels.





Lime spread annually/or high calcium muck spreading 2x per year can slowly over 3-5yrs take the ph up above ideal range, so if anything, check ph annually springtime before growth so amendments can be made.

If you spend out 1 year on soil and forage testing, you’ll better see clearly what your land has to offer grass, and whether the made haylage is taking-up all the nutrients.…then adjust as necessary.

I had 1 acidic field, so last year thinly spread calcium/magnesium pellets in spring. Other trace minerals were present in this pellet too. Grass grew, then horses grazed it, for a few weeks - my black mare always shows gradual food changes in her coat, and goodness me, she was as deep black and shiny as ive ever seen her after grazing that field! I know minerals matter but i really wasn’t expecting such a drastic change in the horses!

I’d highly recommend knowing your soil and forage mineral make-up, worth the investment as land rarely shifts drastically year in year out, so any imbalances will transfer to the forage and ultimately the horse.
We all mostly add minerals balancers ontop of forage for horses, because we’re blind about the soil and forage values.
To know, takes out all the guesswork, and we can really optimise horses health with a truly balanced mineral diet.

Especially for those whose source of forage is the same supplier.

 

[Chianti]

Dodson and Horrell do a range of tests. The basic one is £11 and gives you sugar and starch - I think - plus a few other things.