List of Resources

Alfalfa is superior to other forage crops and understanding how alfalfa grows and its relationship to forage yield & quality is critical to high quality production.

The quality of alfalfa hay used as feed, can be determined from the ADF, NDF, Relative Feed Value, TDN and crude protein levels.

The final step to profitable alfalfa production is to set goals for forage quality and use the appropriate harvest techniques.

Determining if a supplement is needed for beef cows is based on forage quality and can be guided by a forage analysis which measures several components.

Starch analysis involves two basis steps. The first is the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch in glucose. The second is the measurement of glucose levels.

Here is a comprehensive listing of the analysis options provided by Midwest Labs to the Animal Feed industry. It includes tests, methods, prices, descriptions, warnings, recommendations, suggestions, instructions, and reporting options.

Fiber can be broken out into three different fractions, Crude, Neutral Detergent and Acid Detergent. Each of these fiber fractions are made up of different components.

Nitrate in plants are usually converted to proteins, amino acids and other compounds. However some stresses to the plant can cause toxic levels of nitrates.

Silage and hay are the most common forms of storage for forages. Silages are usually preferred by livestock to hay.

Glycerin is odorless, colorless, water soluble, and has a sweet taste. And the feed value in terms of energy could be equal to corn.

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First described as a pathogen in the late 1920's, it was not until the early 1980's that Listeria monocytogenes emerged as a food-borne pathogen. These hardy, nonspore-forming bacteria are capable of growing over a temperature range of 1-45o C (34-113o F), growing best at 30-37o ...

"Salt" is composed of sodium and chloride. Measuring the "salt" level is an estimation, as there is no method that is specific for measuring "salt".

by Dr. Jane Caldwell & Brian Hodges Twenty-first-century consumers, processors, co-packers and regulators need to verify the identity of meats for a variety of nutritional, personal, religious, safety, regulatory, and ethical reasons. Many consumers have taboos and religious laws concerning species fit for consumption. Download ...

Mycotoxins are not produced all the time, but can present under specific growing conditions and colonize crops.

Mycotoxins are an ongoing concern when feeding livestock and companion animals since minute amounts can greatly effect animal health and productivity.

Forage diets high in nitrates could cause nitrate toxicity when the conversion of nitrite to ammonia becomes the limiting factor.

A general guideline for particle size interpretation shows an average particle size of 700-800 microns is considered acceptable for all classes of swine.

Evidence of rancidity in fats and oils can be evaluated by the detection of peroxide. The Peroxide value analysis is the most widely used.

Taking precautions when grazing sorghums and sudangrass will provide safety against hydrocyanic acid or prussic acid poisoning or nitrate toxicity.

Following is a brief introduction to the Interpretation of pastling curves for starch-based samples testing using your RVA 4500. A heat-hold-cool cooking cycle is assumed. A good textbook covering polymer hydrocolloids should provide further information on these processes and on starch chemistry, modification and uses.

Relative Feed Value (RFV) can be calculated on any set of feed analysis data that includes ADF and NDF, however the equations were developed specifically for alfalfa hay fed to Dairy cows.

The existing science and instrumentation for residual antibiotic analyses is leaning toward the LC/MS or LC/MS/MS methods because of the versatility.

Since Salmonella bacteria are common in the intestinal tract of many animals, contamination of the meat is common. Good sanitation and food preparation practices are important in preventing salmonellosis.

Forages provide the nutritional base of cow-calf operations. Mineral supplementation decisions pivot around the quanitity and quality of the forage-base.