FAA Group members, Massey Feeds, and Trouw Nutrition along with AIC hosted a silage sampling and testing training day recently in Derbyshire for Trading Standards East Midlands. David Wilde of Massey Feeds led the practical on-farm silage sampling training session, on a dairy farm just outside Ashbourne, thanks to TR & EC Ball.
David explained that due to the variable nature of silage, collecting representative samples across the clamp is vital and it is essential to remove as much air as possible from silage sample bags, making sure these are well sealed. He also explained that as the silage sample can spoil out of the clamp, and that this continues with time, it should be sent to the testing laboratory quickly to ensure the analysis accurately reflects what is being fed to the stock.
The group also toured the laboratory at Trouw Nutrition with Richard Tunnicliffe, starting with sample receipt and logging, followed by a practical demonstration of how they are prepared and scanned to determine their nutritional content by Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS). The TSOs learnt more about the Feed Adviser Register, and how and why Advisers rely on accurate forage nutrient analysis to formulate diets.
For more information on forage sampling visit the FAA page https://www.faagroup.co.uk/foragesampling/taking-samples.