Feed Mill Laboratory and Feed Quality

The goal of feed manufacturing is to produce feed that meets intended specifications in nutritional composition. Today feed manufacturing is a very competitive activity and consistent feed quality is a key growth driver. Quality control and assurance have emerged as a critical feature in the business of feed manufacturing. A quality control system involves personnel being properly trained to ensure a high level of organization, documentation and policing of various procedures and processes necessary to guarantee the basic quality of feed ingredients and feed.

Need for Laboratory

Laboratory analysis is a definitive aspect of a quality control. The analysis of raw materials can help the feed manufacturer in several ways, such as:

A) Prediction of Nutritive Value of Feed Ingredients

Knowledge of feed ingredient composition is vital for the nutritionist in order to meet precisely the nutrient requirements of livestock. The nutrient values in any feed ingredient vary from season to season, source to source, batch to batch as also within a batch therefore feed ingredients need to be analysed carefully for their nutritive value before they are incorporated into the diet.

B) Avoiding Contaminants

Substances that are inherently present in feed ingredients or acquired during processing, handling, storage etc and which may be harmful to livestock productivity are classified as contaminants. These, when present in more than prescribed levels are harmful to livestock productivity. Knowing the levels of these contaminants is important.

C) Detecting Adulterants

Intentional contamination is termed as adulteration. Some unscrupulous agents adulterate feed ingredients in an effort to derive economic benefit. This adulterants seriously affect feed quality and thereby animal productivity and health such as,sand, cobs, husk, dust, sand silica and hulls etc. The establishment of a feed mill laboratory can ensure feed quality by controlling the quality of feed ingredients and by assuring the quality of final feed. Every quality control program should include periodic laboratory analysis of ingredients and feed.

How Can a Laboratory Improve Feed Quality?

Success of a quality control program hinges on collection of representative samples for laboratory analysis. Great care should be taken to ensure samples are representative of material so that lab results reflect the nutrient content of the ingredient or feed being sampled. No of bags to be sampled √n +1. For example: If total number of bags are 100, then number of bags to be considered for sampling is √1OO+1 = 11. The following information should be provided with the sample to the laboratory.

•Desired tests for sample Testing of Feed Ingredients

At the feed mill, different feedstuffs need to be analyzed for different parameters depending on the vulnerability and the economic impact on the feed quality.

Testing of Finished Feed

The performance of bird is totally dependent on the quality of finished feed. The following tests are important to decide the quality of feed. Every batch of feed must be analyzed for its proximate principals.

a.Moisture
b.Crude protein
c.Ether extract
d.Crude fiber
e.Total ash
f.Acid-insoluble ash
g.Acid-soluble ash
h.Salt Further to this:

1.Analysis of calcium, phosphorus and ME has to be carried out periodically
2.All procedures should be carried out as per AOAC methods
3.Every protein analysis should be carried out in triplicate and an average value should be taken
4.Salt percentage should be considered by doing analysis for sodium and not for chloride.

Conclusion

Compound feeds are composed as a blend of various raw materials and/or by-products. Whilst formulating feed, the feed manufacturer needs to find an optimum balance amongst different materials that will satisfy the requirements of specific animals in a specific physiological state. In order to achieve this, the manufacturer needs to keep an eye on the chemical composition and nutritional value of feedstuffs. Hence a laboratory at feed mill and right use of it can optimize both the quality and economics of feed manufacturing. A lab has a very key role to play right from purchasing of raw materials to despatch of finished feed. It requires a small investment relative to the enormous benefit of "customer satisfaction" and "enhanced productivity" through "Quality Feed".