Name: Instant on-site animal feed analyzer
Cost: From CAD$9200
Available at manufacturers’ websites
Intended use
The on-site feed analyzer is a portable NIR (Near Infra-Red) analyzer of feed ingredients and compound feed on the farm or feed mill level. A real-time feed analysis provides reliable input into a robust feed formulation system. The device can measure moisture, protein, starch, fiber, ash, and oil. The device has been calibrated to analyze the following ingredients and compound feeds: wheat, wheat middlings, corn, barley, DDGS (Dried Distillers Grains), fishmeal, oat, broiler feed, layer feed, beef feed, sheep feed, pig feed, rapeseed, rapeseed meal, soybean, soybean meal, soybean hulls, full-fat soya, sunflower seed, sunflower meal, rice bran, biscuit meal, cotton meal, cottonseed cake, corn germ meal, corn gluten meal, calf feed, and dairy feed. For running analysis on other ingredients, check the manufacturer’s website (link) to see if calibration database is available.
Using the device
The device calibration models are designed to best predict consistently ground samples up to a particle size of less than 3mm. This can be achieved using various grinders following the manufacturer’s recommended procedure. However, careful consideration should be given to what material must be ground, the volumes required, and the heat produced. Samples should be scanned at room temperature (18 to 24 °C). To use the device, follow the following steps:
- Connect your Scanner with the mobile app
- Perform background measurement
- Place the scanner on top of your sample
- Start scanning
- Move the scanner to another spot of the sample and scan again
- Repeat step 5 five times
- Wait for the results
Based on the nutrients values obtained by the NIR device, real-time adjustments to feed formulation can be applied to get the level of nutrients you need in your diet.
Mohammad was the PIP team Research Associate (2021-2024) with extensive experience in poultry nutrition. He wrote science articles for newsletters and worked on developing adaptations and recommendations to support the adoption of new managerial tools, products, services, and practices by the poultry industry.
Looking at his poultry industry perspective, Mohammad has been serving the poultry industry through his extensive experience in feed formulation as an animal nutritionist over the past ten years. He was also a university lecturer for 10 years. Mohammad was a member of the Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) at the U of A. Mohammad graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Animal Science from the University of Alberta with a Postdoctoral fellowship before moving to his Research Associate position with the PIP team. Serving the poultry industry as an animal nutritionist for more than a decade, Mohammad loves teaching and worked as a university lecturer in Iran and a teaching assistant at the U of A. Mohammad was inspired by Dr. Frank Robinson, practicing the inquiry-based learning method when working as a TA in his “Principles of Animal Agriculture” class. “I have a strong passion on poultry nutrition and have always loved to help poultry producers with optimizing the poultry systems. The challenging part of working with live animals is that you need to be on call even as a nutritionist. However, the joy of seeing healthy animals and help with their welfare overcome the challenging part.”
