Equine Forage & Feed Analysis | Horse Hay Testing Laboratory

Our laboratory knows that hay is the building blocks of a quality nutrition program for your horse. We can give you peace of mind by providing accurrate and reliable hay testing results for your equine forage.

Understanding your Equine partners nutrition is vital to their health and performance.

Whether you are looking at general health, maintenance, troubleshooting health issues, or building a ration, equine forage testing can help you and your vet make informed decisions.

About Our Horse Hay Testing Services

We offer NIR testing and Wet Chemistry Testing. We offer several packages (Packages also include energy equations), as well as individual components, mycotoxins, yeast, and mold.

Energy & Index Calculations

Equine TDN (%DM)
Equine DE (Mcal/lb)
Net Energy Lactation (Mcal/lb)
Net Energy Maintenance (Mcal/lb)
Net Energy Gain (Mcal/lb)
ME (Mcal/lb)
AA Protein as % of Total Protein
NDF Dig. Rate (Kd, %HR, Van Amburgh, Lignin*2.4)
NDF Drg. Rate (Kd, %HR, uNDF)
Starch Dig. Rate (Kd, %HR, Mertens)
Relative Feed Value (RFV)
Relative Forage Quality (RFQ)
Milk per Ton (lbs/ton)
Dig. Organic Matter Index (lbs/ton)
Non Fiber Carbohydrates (%DM)
Non Structural Carbohydrates, ESC (%OM)
Non Structural Carbohydrates, WSC (%DM)

NIR offers quick and efficient predictive technology for same day results*. Wet chemistry options offer analytical test results; wet chemistry values are superior to those generated via NIR.

*(samples must be received at the lab by Noon for same day results.)

*Looking for just basic nutrient values? We would suggest choosing from these options:

• Equine Basic (NIR Package)

Dry Matter, Moisture, Digestible Energy, NSC, NFC, RFV (hays only), Starch, Sugar (WSC and ESC), Crude Protein, Soluble Protein, ADFCP, NDFCP, Lignin, ADF, NDF, NDFom, Fat, Ash, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Potassium.

• Equine Lancer (NIR and WET Chemistry on Minerals)

Dry Matter, Moisture, Digestible Energy, NSC, NFC, RFV (hays only), Starch, Sugar, Crude Protein, Soluble Protein, ADFCP, NDFC, Lignin, WSC, ADF, NDF, NDFom, Fat, Total Fatty Acids, and Ash via NIR. Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, and Copper via Wet Chemistry.

*Troubleshooting an issue or building a ration? We suggest choosing from these options:

• Equine Chemistry Basic (wet chemistry)

Dry Matter, Moisture, Digestible Energy, NSC, NFC, RFV (Hays only), Starch, WSC, Crude Protein, Soluble Protein, ADF, NDF, Ash, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, and Copper.

• Equine Chemistry Complete (wet chemistry)

Dry Matter, Moisture, Digestible Energy, NSC, NFC, RFV (hays only), Starch, Sugar, Crude Protein, Soluble Protein, WSC, ADF, NDF, ADFCP, NDFCP, Lignin, Fat, Ash, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Sulfur, Chloride, Iron, Manganese, Zinc and Copper.

How To Sample Your Horse Hay For Testing

When sampling it is best to get as much of a representative mix of your hay as possible. If you have 100 bales pick 10 to pull your samples from. Mix the cores from the sampled bales in the bucket. From the bucket then fill and seal the zip lock bag.

If you do not have a hay probe, try to pull from the middle of the hay bale without losing steams and leaves by hand. Mix what you have pulled in the 5-gallon bucket. From the bucket fill and seal the zip lock bag.

Label the sample so that it is identified, and you know what it is referring to, including crop year, bale identification if applicable, field, etc. Fill out the submission sheet below and send sample to the lab.

We Suggest Gathering These Items Before Sampling

• Hay Probe
• 1-gallon Ziplock bag
• 5 gallon bucket for mixing

Contact our equine forage testing laboratory today at (616) 837-7670 if you would like to speak directly with our team. Message us here to reach out via our website or email Jeremy at jeremy@aatestlabs.com.