Hay Analysis Results - Can Anybody Help Me Interpret Them?

L

LMC

Member
Joined
17 August 2011
Messages
16
Visit site
Hi everybody,

I have just received my hay analysis results, but don't know what to do with them!

HayReport.jpg


HayReport2.jpg


The hay is cut from some of the horses' fields, plus some extra fields. The sample was taken randomly from about 30 bales of this years' cut. From what i can see, a lot of the minerals are either high or low - not many in the 'normal' range. Is it bad hay? How do i go about balancing their mineral intake now? If the hay is soaked (which it is), what is lost? Just the sugars or bits of everything?

Any help with this would be lovely as i dont know what to do next :(

Thank you! :)
 
My friend had this done, and the same people did a diet plan for her too. So you should be able to get help and advice from the people who analysed it.

With hay, it depends how long you soak it, soak it for too long and all the minerals are lost aswell as the sugars (someone confirm this please?!) I was told 20mins to get rid of dust, 2hrs+ to get rid of sugars, and I assume minerals go with sugars.
 
One thing is certain and that is that you need to supplement copper. You are high in manganese, which suppresses copper uptake, and low in copper as well, a double whammy. You can buy copper bioplex from Forageplus.co.uk but they can also tell you what this analysis means in terms of other things you need to supplement, which looks like zinc and selenium too.

Your phosphorous/calcium ratio is also up the creek and you need to get that right. You should also be supplementing magnesium oxide at 25 g a day if the experience of we barefooters is anything to go by. It is used in regulating insulin, as is copper.
 
Last edited:
Our feed rep for the cattle is coming on monday I could ask him. I was expecting more of an energy analysis than a mineral one , he knows all about results of silage,hay and haylage.
There sould have been a colour code i.e red is undesirable, blue probably low and green is optimium
 
Thanks so much :)

I was thinking along the same lines, but wasn't sure how to supplement copper - now i know :D

Will speak to Forage Plus, but wasn't sure if i had to pay extra for advice??

We're hopefully moving to another place in the next month or so, so i'll have the new place analysed. In the mean time, will start shopping for yet more supplements... :(
They're already on MgO (although not enough by the look of it), Brewers Yeast, Seaweed, Nettle, Mint, Chasteberry, etc, so i'll reassess.

Thanks again :)
 
Could you ask them what CAB is, I did this sort of thing at college, and what I expected was analysis, for Dry Matter [DM], carohydrates, protein and so on, such as one finds on the back of a feed sack, what you have got is a detailed analysis of the mineral content.
I 'm not sure your cattle chap will be up to date on horses or even on mineral analysis, I think you need to make sure that you find a company that gives advice, and that you get the required analysis, the barefoot gurus offer analysis, and that would seem more suited to your needs.
If you are intending to soak the hay for an hour, then it would be interesting to split your sample in two [by weight] and soak one sample for an hour, then you can compare the results, the only thing you will have to do is to dry the soaked sample until it is the same weight as the original sample, if you see what I mean.
Your DM content is 877 over 1000 ie 88 percent, that is to say 12 percent moisture content. The fact that it is RED and is HIGH, gives you the idea of "danger", but this is rubbish, hay need to be dry or it will not "keep".
 
Last edited:
That looks like a report from Forage Plus, who will also interpret them for you. I'd get them to do the interpreting, rather than us forumers, Sarah has been doing it for years and really knows her stuff.

Edited because I have now read the rest of the thread :o It looks like the company forage plus use to do their analysis, if not actually forage plus themselves. Yes you will need to pay for interpretation, but its not too expensive. Wait until you have moved and got the figures for the grass at the new place (are you taking the same hay?).

We're hopefully moving to another place in the next month or so, so i'll have the new place analysed. In the mean time, will start shopping for yet more supplements...
They're already on MgO (although not enough by the look of it), Brewers Yeast, Seaweed, Nettle, Mint, Chasteberry, etc, so i'll reassess.
Click to expand...

That's a lot to be on already, is it all necessary? Things like your Nettle may well skew the mineral balance again, and so will whatever makes up the bulk of your "meal" feeds. I wouldn't be in a rush to buy anything different until you have moved and spoken to F+.
 
Last edited:
You need to ask whoever did the analysis what they base their statements of high/low on. Is it just general or has it been compared to the NRC recommendations for horses? Although these are old (1989) its pretty much all there is out there. A cow needs a different level of nutrients to a horse- so just saying high or low isnt much use unless you know what it means. The analysis needs to be related to the species that you are feeding.

The ideal calcium to phosphorus ratio for horses is 2:1, which at 0.44:0.18 isnt that far off. cptrayes- i'm not sure what you meant?
 
I had an analysis from Forage Plus and mine looked like this. I just don't have anywhere near the knowledge to be able to put together a feed plan from this so I paid for a feed plan. I couldn't belive the amount of work Sarah put into getting things just right, researching the right base foods as well as getting the amounts of different minerals balanced and suited to my mare, her type, vet issues and work level. Money extremely well spent in my opinion.
 
ThePony said:
I had an analysis from Forage Plus and mine looked like this. I just don't have anywhere near the knowledge to be able to put together a feed plan from this so I paid for a feed plan. I couldn't belive the amount of work Sarah put into getting things just right, researching the right base foods as well as getting the amounts of different minerals balanced and suited to my mare, her type, vet issues and work level. Money extremely well spent in my opinion.
Click to expand...

TBH, i will probably just do this then :) But not until we move as it's pointless now. We'll be on different hay as well as different grazing. We've gone barefoot, so this is what prompted me to look at the hay/grazing. Just wish i'd done it years ago! Thanks for the tip :)

As for the supplements we already feed, i think i'm turning into one of those people who believe everything they read and think the horses should be on them all, but then i forget i'm probably overdosing them on some things!! Started the nettle as i read it can be useful in arthritics....
Will deffinitely re-assess the lot, with the help of FP.

Thanks again.
 
cptrayes said:
One thing is certain and that is that you need to supplement copper. You are high in manganese, which suppresses copper uptake, and low in copper as well, a double whammy. You can buy copper bioplex from Forageplus.co.uk but they can also tell you what this analysis means in terms of other things you need to supplement, which looks like zinc and selenium too.

Your phosphorous/calcium ratio is also up the creek and you need to get that right. You should also be supplementing magnesium oxide at 25 g a day if the experience of we barefooters is anything to go by. It is used in regulating insulin, as is copper.
Click to expand...

^^agreed^^
 
I'd cut out the seaweed, it could cause you to overdose on iodine because you already have plenty. I think it is also high in iron, which you don't want with high manganese but I could be wrong on that one.

Forageplus will charge you for a feed plan, I think.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top