REQUEST BY INDIVIDUALS FOR THE ANALYSIS 

 OF FEEDINGSTUFFS 



The feedingstuff law requires the Agricultural Experiment Station to analyze 

 only samples of registered feedingstuffs drawn under the direction of the Feed 

 Control Supervisor. It does, each year, however, analyze a considerable number 

 of samples drawn by individuals representing stock purchased by them for their 

 own use. Frequently, the reason for requesting an analysis is that the feed is 

 suspected of causing sickness or death of livestock or poultry. While in very 

 rare instances the feed may have caused the trouble, disease is usually found 

 to be the cause. Often feeders, suspecting the feed, lose valuable time in the 

 treatment of the disease by sending a sample of the feed for analysis and waiting 

 for the report. Losses could have been reduced had a veterinarian or poultry 

 specialist been consulted immediately and proper treatment given promptly. 

 The most conclusive method of determining whether or not the feed is the 

 cause of the trouble is a biological test. Such a test can be conducted on the 

 premises of the feeder. If the feed is suspected, confine in sanitary pens two 

 lots of healthy chicks. Give to one lot the suspected feed and to the other lot 

 a feed known to be good. Should the chicks receiving the suspected feed 

 become ill and the others remain healthy, there is evidence that the feed is the 

 cause. Under such circumstances, notify the Feed Control Supervisor and an 

 official sample will be drawn. The official sample will be analyzed to determine 

 if the manufacturer is responsible. 



The most common reason the purchaser has for asking to have the sample 

 analyzed is to satisfy himself whether or not the feed meets its guarantee, and 

 if it does not, to obtain evidence upon which to base a claim for shortage. The 

 Station can assume no responsibility for the drawing of an unofficial sample 

 but can attest only the accuracy of the analysis of the sample as submitted. 

 It is practically impossible to secure a representative sample of a feedingstuff 

 composed of several ingredients varying widely in composition without the aid 

 of a sampling tube for drawing the sample and proper equipment for mixing it. 

 A feed may contain as one of its ingredients gluten meal averaging 40 per cent 

 protein, and as another ingredient oat mill feed averaging 5 per cent protein. 

 These materials are so different in physical condition that the shaking in transit 

 tends to separate them even though they may have been perfectly mixed by 

 the manufacturer before bagging. It is apparent that an accurate sample of a 

 shipment of a feed can only be had by drawing a core from several bags. Since 

 a representative sample is as essential as an accurate analysis in judging the 

 value of a shipment of feed, it is evident that a satisfactory adjustment can 

 seldom be effected on the basis of an unofficial sample. 



Notwithstanding the objections which may be raised to the analysis of 

 samples taken without proper sampling equipment, the Station is disposed to 

 continue this work as long as there is evidence that it constitutes a useful service. 

 The samples so submitted should be drawn from at least ten bags in a manner 

 which will insure that the small lot sent for analysis is as accurately representa- 

 tive as possible of the large lot from which it is taken. Because of the cost of 

 laboratory work and materials, an analysis is not usually warranted on a sample 

 drawn from less than a one-ton lot of feed. 



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