Deluxe 2-Sieve Forage Particle Separator Kit
PRODUCT DETAILS
To use Nasco’s Forage Particle Separator, simply stack the three plastic separator boxes on top of each other. Next, place 7 cups of forage in the top box. Shake the separator five times and then rotate the unit a quarter turn. Shake and rotate a total of four times, then weigh the material remaining on each of the two screens and the bottom pan. Percentages of different particle lengths can then be figured, and long baled hay can be added as needed to meet dietary requirements.
Includes Nasco’s 2-Sieve Forage Particle Separator – three forage boxes .31"H (one each with 3/4"(0.75") holes, 5/16"(0.31") holes, and a solid bottom)(C15924N), Deluxe Electronic Scale (C23058N), Rubbermaid® Weighing Container and complete instructions for use.
Forage particle length is becoming an increasingly important issue in ruminant nutrition. Knowing the particle length, and understanding the factors which influence it, can ensure that a high-quality forage is being produced. This economical, easy-to-use forage particle separator allows you to test your own forage with immediate results – no more waiting for your test results to come in the mail! By determining the different percentages of forage lengths, you can determine how much long baled hay should be added to meet the needs of your dairy herd.
The Forage Particle Separator will help you achieve the correct particle lengths needed to help meet the many nutritional requirements of dairy animals. If minimum fiber levels are not obtained, cows often display one or more of the following metabolic disorders: reduced total dry matter digestibility, reduced milk fat percentage, displaced abomasum (DA), and an increase in the incidence of rumen parakeratosis. Reduced forage particle size has been known to decrease the time a cow spends chewing, which can cause decreased rumen pH. Smaller forage particles also spend less time in the rumen for microbial digestion, thereby decreasing digestibility.
This unit was developed in cooperation with the Department of Dairy and Animal Science at The Pennsylvania State University.
