Comparison of NIRS and wet chemistry methods for the nutritional analysis of haylages for horses

Haylage (DM 51-85%) is one of the most common forages fed to equids in Europe. The aim of this study was to assess the repeatability and reliability of the nutrient concentrations in haylage determined by either near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) or traditional Wet chemistry methods (WCh) in a single commercial laboratory. To assess this within methods, one single representative sample from one bale of haylage was split into 10 separate samples for analysis by both methods. A further 25 separate haylage bales from across the UK were subsampled at source (blind) and some further divided at the laboratory.
Source: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Tags: Original Research Source Type: research