TS 6318 - Determination of Moisture in Feed: Feed Quality and Nutrition Assessment

What should be the amount of moisture in feed?

What is moisture in feed?

Feed moisture can be defined as the water content and indicates the amount of water in the feed. This water can come from both feed components and environmental factors (rainfall, storage conditions, humid air). The moisture content of feed may vary depending on whether the feed is in dried or wet form.

Moisture has important effects on the physical properties of feeds:

Fermentation and microbial activity: High moisture can increase microbial growth and spoilage.
Storage time: High humidity can shorten the shelf life of feeds and increase the risk of spoilage.
Digestive Capacity: Some feeds are more easily digested depending on the moisture content.

What should be the appropriate moisture content in feed?

The moisture content in feed may vary depending on the type of feed. However, in general, the moisture content of feed should be within a certain range. This ratio directly affects the quality and spoilage of the feed.

General Moisture Ranges:

Dry feeds: There is usually a moisture content between 10%-12%.
Green feeds and fresh feeds: These feeds can have a higher moisture content, usually between 50%-80%.
Silo feeds: Feed stored in silos can have a moisture content of 40%-60%, but too much moisture can lead to rapid growth of microorganisms.
Animal feed: High-quality dry feeds usually have a moisture content between 10-15%, which is ideal.

High humidity can lead to feed spoilage, mucilage and fermentation. In addition, high moisture content can adversely affect the digestibility and energy efficiency of feeds. Therefore, it is generally recommended to keep the moisture content around 12-14%.

The stages of the Feed Determination method are briefly as follows:

Heat the clean sample container in an oven at 105 ºC for 1 hour.
Remove the sample container from the oven and place in desiccators until cool, weigh and record the weight.
Place approximately (1-2) grams of sample in the sample cup.
Place the container containing the sample in the oven at 135 ºC for 3 hours.
After the drying time is over, remove the sample container from the oven and place it in the desiccator until it cools down. After cooling, remove from the desiccator and weigh.

TS 6318: Animal Feeds-Determination of Moisture

Nano-lab Laboratories Group continues to provide services within the scope of Moisture Determination in Feed. We also provide services in the determination of insoluble ash in hydrochloric acid in feed.

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