Feed analyses for small ruminants

Abstract

The objective of this presentation is to provide the veterinary practitioner working with small ruminant species a practical understanding of feed-testing procedures and their interpretation. Forage is the cornerstone of the small ruminant diet, and quality of forage will have tremendous impact on animal health and performance. Many small ruminant owners do not utilize feed-testing services for many reasons, but often due to their inability to interpret and apply the information to their feeding program. Veterinarians are well-suited to provide this service to small ruminant clients as critical assessment of the feeding program provides insight to diagnostics of animal or flock health concerns and productive performance. Although many current feed-testing procedures were developed for cattle, most measures can be directly applied to small ruminant nutrition, while others can be interpreted with some extrapolation. Determinations of dry matter, crude protein, neutral and acid detergent fiber, as well as the minerals, are all beneficial in evaluating forage quality and dietary appropriateness. Veterinarians well-versed in interpreting feed analysis testing reports can provide an essential service to their small ruminant clients.