RECREATION INDUSTRY & AGRICULTURE

My Lab Report has values for NEL and TDN on it – What do they mean?

When you submit your forage sample for lab analysis make sure you specify whether you want a lab report specific for equines or ruminants. The analysis of the forage is the same but the report generated will have different calculated results on it depending on the species requested. If you ask for an equine lab report, energy will be expressed as DE. If your lab report has the calculated values NFC, NEL, NEG, TDN, or NDFDom 30hr, it means you are looking at a lab report generated for ruminants. The results for DM, Moisture, CP, ADF, NDF, WSC, ESC and any mineral analysis will be identical on a report generated for horses or ruminants. If you have ruminants and are curious about the meaning of all those calculations any ruminant nutritionist can help you.

What is a Good Hay Test?

You now have your hay test in your hand but do you know what those numbers need to be for your horse? What constitutes a good hay test? That will depend on your horse and his age, amount of work, weather condition and whether he has any preexisting metabolic conditions. We all know that insulin resistant horses have a low tolerance for high sugar hays but if your insulin resistant horse is a mature pasture ornament he may not require the higher protein level commonly found in low sugar hays. It is important to use some common sense in selecting hays and balance your horse’s diet for the hay in your barn by making it a part of a more varied diet. Consider including other safe fibre sources if your hay doesn’t fit your horse’s unique set of requirements exactly. If in doubt, or if planning a diet for a performance horse, a metabolically challenged horse or a growing horse, consider consulting with a qualified equine nutritionist about how to plan a ration around your hay for your horse.

Guidelines

The following is a table with some guidelines to follow when interpreting your grass hay analysis. Remember these are guidelines only and a lab report with a nutrient that falls outside these guidelines is not necessarily a cause for major concern. One of the most important criteria in buying hay, regardless of the lab analysis is the quality. Is it clean, free from weeds and extraneous material like sticks etc. The best hay analysis in the world becomes of secondary importance if the hay is mouldy or hot to the touch when you open a bale. Remember that regardless of your hay test your horse will be healthier if you follow some basic feeding principles including small meals fed often and ample fresh water.

Grass Hay

Alfalfa or Grass/Alfalfa Hay

Grass Haylage

About the author:

Shelagh Niblock P.A.S. Equine Nutritionist

Shelagh Niblock PAS is an equine nutritionist with an extensive background in both ruminant and equine nutrition as well as forage science as it relates to both horses and ruminants. She spent more than 35 years in the feed industry in British Columbia. After retiring from her career as an in-house equine nutritionist for a feed company, Shelagh continued working with horse owners and now practices as an equine nutritional consultant offering advice on the successful feeding of horses. She has been a regular contributor to the Canadian Horse Journals Magazine, and is also a sessional instructor of Equine Production at The University of the Fraser Valley. Shelagh is also a horse owner herself and an enthusiastic pleasure rider who is especially interested in the disciplines of mountain trail, dressage and three day eventing. Shelagh is active in the equine community as a member of Circle F Horse Rescue, a registered non-profit located in Abbotsford, and her credentials include membership in the Equine Science Society, the American Society of Animal Science, The American Society of Dairy Science, The Dairy Cattle Welfare Council and the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists.