REQUEST BY INDIVIDUALS FOR THE ANALYSIS 



OF FEEDINGSTUFFS 



The feedingstuff law requires the Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion 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 in- 

 dividuals 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 con- 

 clusive 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 manu- 

 facturer 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 responsi- 

 bility 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 com- 

 posed of several ingredients varying widely in composition without 

 the aid of a sampling tube for drawing the sample and proper equip- 

 ment 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 



