Dairy One has many different laboratories that receive samples all the time. But for each sample, there are specific requirements for what is needed for analysis. In this blog post, we’ll be covering the various recommendations from the lab teams about collecting samples to submit for testing.
Milk Lab
Dairy One’s Milk Laboratory runs thousands of milk samples through analysis instruments to report on component levels. Most samples run through the lab are collected by DHI Field Technicians who visit farms to collect milk from every milking cow. However, customers can send in their own samples too. The important thing is to collect milk that is an accurate representation of the milk. It’s recommended to use a milk meter, properly calibrated, to collect milk that’s placed in a vial to be sent in for testing. Full guidelines on collecting a milk sample can be found in this sheet.
Animal Health Diagnostic Lab
Milk samples, like the ones used in Milk Lab, can also be sent to the Animal Health Diagnostic Lab for screening to see if a cow is pregnant or has a disease. There are other mammals that the lab can analyze samples for, including sheep, goats, and water buffalo. There are requirements for when to collect a sample, mostly how many days in milk the animal has been in. In addition, the lab can also test blood for pregnancy confirmation. For the criteria for each type of sample, visit this page.
Soil Lab
Collecting soil samples entails using a soil probe to core different areas. Since plants grow various root lengths, it’s good to take a full representation of the soil. It’s also recommended to collect samples from various spots to ensure that all potential growing sites are tested. This sheet contains sampling guidelines for customers of the Soil Lab, including commercial growers and backyard gardeners.
Forage Lab
The key to a good forage sample submission is getting a good representation of what you are testing. The lab only needs a quart-size bag of the sample for analysis. This taking a sample sheet is often used by the lab support team to answer questions about collecting a sample for the first time. On it, you will find all types of feed samples and how to properly and safely collect a representative sample for testing purposes.
Equi-Analytical
Many of the sampling guidelines mentioned above for the Forage Lab apply as well to this subsidiary of the Forage Lab. The equine industry has a slight difference in requested analysis packages. On the Equi-Analytical side, many customers request hay and pasture testing as this is a main component of a horse’s diet. There are great sheets on collecting both of these types of samples available below.
Guidelines for Taking a Pasture Sample
Zooquarius
For this Forage Lab subsidiary, zoos and aquariums can send in a wide array of samples for analysis. From mice and fish to banana leaves and hay, our lab team never knows what to expect in the mail from these customers. For a comprehensive guide on taking samples, visit this page on the Zooquarius website.
To purchase sample kits, visit the Shop page for Dairy One.
For any questions about the processes mentioned in this post, you can contact Dairy One’s labs at the email addresses listed below.
Milk Lab: [email protected]
Animal Health Diagnostic Lab: [email protected]
Soil Lab: [email protected]
Forage Lab: [email protected]
Equi-Analytical: [email protected]
Zooquarius: [email protected]