REQUESTS BY INDIVIDUALS FOR THE ANALYSIS 

 OF FEEDINGSTUFFS 



Under the feedingstiiffs law the Agricultural Experiment Station 

 is charged only with the analysis of samples of feedingstuffs collected 

 by the State Inspector under the direction of the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture. It does, each year, however, analyze a considerable num- 

 ber of samples drawn by individuals representing stock purchased by 

 them for their own use. Frequently the reason for sending the sample 

 is that the feed is suspected of causing sickness or death of livestock or 

 poultry. While in very rare instances the feed may have catised the 

 trouble, disease is usually found to be the cause. Many times 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 the 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 con- 

 ducted on the premises of the feeder. If chicks have died and 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 the feed is the cause. Un- 

 der such circumstances notify the Commissioner of Agriculture and 

 an official sample will be drawn. The official sample Avill 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 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 

 dra^ving of an imofficial sample but can attest only the accuracy of the 

 analysis of the sample as submitted. It is practically impossible to se- 

 cure 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 

 five per cent protein. These materials are so different in physical con- 

 dition 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 ton of this feed can only 

 be had by drawing a core from several bags. The official method 

 requires ten. 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 



