bag of hay

Mineral Analysis

Determines the amount of macro and trace minerals within the forage only.

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£73.57

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Key Features

The level of minerals in a forage can vary greatly and represent the soil the forage is grown on. Typically, levels of copper, selenium and zinc in UK pasture and therefore conserved forage are low and as such we look to supplement these in the ration. This can be achieved by using a fortified feed such as Healthy Hooves Molasses Free at the recommended feeding rate, a feed balancer or broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement.

As conserved forage usually forms such a large part of the diet, an excess or deficiency of nutrients in the forage can have a big impact. It is not only the amount of some minerals that we are concerned with but their ratio in the forage as well. Calcium and phosphorous are two key minerals required for structural functions in the body such as bone development. The optimum ratio in the total diet of calcium to phosphorous is 2:1 and if the forage is near to this ratio, it is usually beneficial for achieving it in the total diet.

This analysis includes calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, sulphur, copper, iron, manganese, cobalt, zinc and selenium. In addition to this CAB levels will be identified. CAB refers to Cation-Anion balance which in simple terms is the difference between minerals that have a positive charge and those that have a negative charge. The relevance of this is not completely understood but research suggests that a low CAB means the body becomes more acidic which is generally detrimental to health and performance. It is interesting but probably not very surprising to note that cereals have a low CAB whereas forages tend to have higher CAB.

Special Offer – Save £25 when you purchase the full Wet Chemistry Analysis set (Basic, WSC and Starch) with Mineral Analysis – discount automatically applied at checkout

How to send your sample in for analysis

Results can only give a good approximation of what is in your forage if a good representative sample is taken. We suggest taking samples from several bales if practically possible and mixing them together to make the final sample. As a guide we need approximately ½ a carrier bag sized sample.

Postage is at your own cost. Please exclude as much air as possible prior to packing. Try to send your sample at the beginning of the week to avoid it sitting in the post over the weekend. Please send your sample including details of the forage type and services required and your contact details in a covering letter to the following address: –

Dengie Crops Ltd, Howells Farm, Maypole Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 4SY

How long will the analysis take?

Please allow 2 weeks for the NIR analysis and up to 1 month for all other services. At busy times it may take longer.

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