Oaten Hay
Hay Australia adheres to testing all hay for quality through a commercially available and transparent service provider.
ARGT
All exported hay is subjected to a compulsory sampling and testing protocol designed to ensure there is minimum risk of the hay being contaminated by the bacterium that causes ARGT. Only negative testing produce will be exported.
This test is determined using the latest commercially available technology from the Department of Agriculture WA in accordance with the current ARGT protocols sanctioned by industry and the relevant government agencies.
Feedtest
Hay quality is objectively determined and key attributes of the hay include:
- Digestible Dry Matter (DDM)
- This gives an estimate of the percentage of the sample which an animal can digest. Samples with a digestibility of over 60% are usually very good.
- Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF)
- The fibre which is measured by NDF is that which provides “bulk” or “fill” of the diet and as a result limits intake. Low NDF is usually desirable. Late cutting will have an adverse affect here as NDF increases with plant maturity.
- Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF)
- Consists primarily of the least digestible parts of the plant and is used to calculate the energy values as it relates to inversely to digestibility. Low ADF is desirable as this relates to higher net energy.
- Protein
- Crude protein is an indicator of the protein which may be metabolised by the animal. Most samples of oat hay are 6-7% protein, while weather damaged samples are much lower.
- Moisture
- Is it essential that the hay conforms to moisture level specifications (<12.0%) otherwise the risk of subsequent mould damage during storage/transit is unacceptable.
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