Calculating Dry Matter of a Mixed Ration is an example of how to calculate dry matter intake.

Feed ingredients are provided to animals according to their weight.In ration formations, animals need actual amounts of nutrition.Feeding individual feed ingredients according to weight is only accurate if the feed is the same as it was when the ration was formulated.If appropriate adjustments are not made to accurately reflect the actual nutrient concentration of the feed ingredient, the animal's nutrition will be altered.

The weight of a specific feed ingredient comes from either the feed or theDM portion.The dry matter refers to the material left after the water has been removed.Part of the feed is required by the animal for maintenance, growth, pregnancy, and lactation.The weight of the feed can be affected by the amount of water in it, but it doesn't give the animal the nutrition it needs.Providing water through an actual water source, instead of through feed ingredients, is necessary because animals do have a requirement for water.

There are a variety of factors that affect the content of feeds.The timing and method of harvest is the most important factor in determining the amount of water in the feed.Environmental conditions, such as rain and snow, affect feed moisture content.The manufacturing processes themselves and the processing to which they are subjected affect theDM of feeds that are co-products of manufacturing industries.

A measure of the amount of a particular feed that is required to give an animal enough nutrition is provided by determining theDM content of feed.Over or under feeding occurs when there is an increase or decrease in feedDM content.

It can be done quickly and easily on a farming operation.The most common way to determine the amount of water in the feed is to leave the dry contents behind.Electronic methods have been used to determine the content of feeds.

The sample collected must be representative of the feed.Depending on the drying equipment used, the sample size can range from 100 to 500 g.It's important to have an accurate scale that reads in grams or tenths of an ounce.

There are different types of equipment that can be used to dry feedstuffs on a farm, with each having advantages and disadvantages.There are many types of drying equipment that can be used on farms.

A forced-air oven is the most common way to dry feedstuffs in a laboratory.Forced air ovens are usually more expensive than other drying equipment.The time for drying is 24 to 48 hours.

A Koster tester is an electrical appliance that blows heated air through a screen.A quick and inexpensive means of drying feedstuffs is provided by a Koster tester.Sampling loss can increase the likelihood of errors.Some farms use timers to turn off the tester so that they can do other things.The tester takes 25 to 50 minutes to dry a sample.

Feedstuffs can be dried quickly with microwaves.The biggest challenge with using a microwave is the possibility of burning.Samplings dried in a microwave should not be submitted to a laboratory for analysis.Constant monitoring is required for the use of a microwave.It is difficult to do other tasks when you are drying samples in a microwave.It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to dry the samples.

Feedstuffs can be dry with a vortex dryer.There is less chance for losses since the sample is in an enclosed container.The drying times are similar to the tester.

The use of a food dehydrator with 9 shelves was evaluated in a research trial at the US Dairy Forage Research Center.The method takes about 2 to 8 hours and requires minimal operator attention.

Electronic methods can be used to determine the direction of feeds.There are many devices that use this technology.hay or grain samples are what most of these are designed for.At least one tester based on this principle can be used.A paper comparing this tester to other methods has been published.The testers give a reading in 5 minutes.

TheNIRS is a Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy.These devices aren't yet available for on-farm use.They may be on the market in the next couple of years.In 1 minute, these devices can determine DM using NIRS.The cost for on-farm use of this equipment has not been determined.Some of the early research on using this technology with forages can be found in a couple of papers.

Detailed methodology of the use of various types of equipment can be found in the references listed below.

The sample weight after drying is 354 g and the container weight is 300 g.

It's important to make sure that animals are getting the right amount of nutrition through their diet.There are a number of options to choose from.Keeping the feeding program on target can be aided by doing routine DM determinations.

Federal and state laws and regulations on non discrimination regarding race, sex, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical, mental or sensory disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran are consistent with extension programs and policies.Your local Extension office may be able to report evidence of noncompliance.

The best available information on the topic is reflected in this fact sheet.The date was 5-14-2007.

The USDA NRCS CIG program funded the Feed Management Education Project.Feed Management Publications has additional information.

Detailed information about training and certification in Feed Management can be obtained from Joe Harrison, Project Leader, jhharrison@wsu.edu