Fiona walked through a virtual photographic tour of the commercial outlay and analytical processing and testing that is carried out at the 7000 sq m Hamilton Hill Laboratories site. Feed and forage testing is one of the many samples that is processed on site, including honey, wine, soil, water, air, drug and even asbestos testing.
“The method is very important and cannot be over-looked.” Fiona highlighted that Hill Lab uses the Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) method, which is based on the NZ farmer. Whilst there is the request for more detailed analytics in feed testing, to match the international options, Hill Lab is a commercial operation that has capacity to run large volumes of a wide range of feed testing in a short amount of time.
Each feed testing process was discussed in detail from the sample selection to the methods used and the types of solutions for each process.
Hill Laboratories meets high quality assurance being IANZ accredited and adhere to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and National Forage Testing Association (NFTA) guidelines.
NZARN members a video of the presentation is available below if you are logged in.
Non-members looking for more information are encouraged to use our ‘contact a nutritionist’ form and ‘member directory’ to find a member who can help them answer their questions.
If you are a Rural Professional interested in joining the NZARN please see our ‘membership’ section.
