I came across this link on another search (http://equi-analytical.com/) and was wondering if anyone has either used them or can recommend another lab that they use to analyze their hay & grass.
Equi-analytical/Dairy One is probably the most well known national lab for forage testing; I have always used it for all my research samples, if I didn’t run the analyses in-house.
Every state’s Extension service should also have a soil & forage testing lab that can do basic analyses of hay and pasture as well, generally for a more affordable cost. However, not all of them offer the carbohydrate fraction analysis that Equi-analytical does, and they don’t always offer all of the mineral packages, either. Your local Extension Agent can provide you with their contact information and costs and can also come out and help you with pasture and hay sampling, regardless of which lab you choose to use.
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Is that the lab in Ithica, NY? I used them and would not use them again. Their numbers made no sense, so I asked them to rerun several values.
2 weeks later (!) I called again and was told that everytime they ran the tests, they got different numbers; they would email me when they got the same numbers twice…
That doesn’t give me much confidence, either in their customer service or their accuracy.
I’ve always had wonderful experiences with Equi-Analytical.
You can find a list of feed/forage testing labs here: http://foragetesting.org/files/Certified_Labs.pdf. You will see the grades given to each lab. Many labs do both NIR (near infrared) testing and wet chemical testing. Wet Chem is the more accurate method, NIR is cheaper but less accurate. I have used Equi-Analytical several times with no issue. This is the equine branch of Dairy One Forage Lab. They have a “B” rating. Cumberland Valley analytical Services has an “A” score. The nice thing about Equi-Analytical is they have test packages aimed at horse owners. Most labs focus on non-equines so you may not find packages of equine tests that are easy to order. You may have to put together your own package. Calling the company office and talking with a person about which specific tests you need done is easier. HIGHLY recommend you pay the extra $$ for wet chem tests.
Another lab that I have used for hay testing. Litchfield Analytical Services
535 Marshall St/PO Box 457
Litchfield, MI 49252
http://www.litchlab.com
They do have equine packages also.I have been happy with their services.
Where are you located? I’m in California, and use Sierra Testing Services. The same family also harvests and sells hay, so all the hay they sell is tested there - very convenient!
And if you are looking for an entire diet to be tested and evaluated, Clair Thunes, Summit Equine Nutrition, offers that service. Again, in California.
