Influence of handling methods on fecal NIRS evaluations

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to investigate efficiency in analysis of fecal samples by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict cattle forage diet quality. Stability of fecal samples during shipping and methods of reducing analysis time were evaluated. In experiments with actual and simulated shipping, no difference was found between predictions from samples shipped fresh or frozen, allowing analysis time to be reduced by 1 day. Drying procedures were developed which allowed sample analysis 24 hours after arrival in the lab for an additional reduction of 1 day in analysis time. Minimal effects on NIRS predictions were observed for simulated shipping delays up to 12 days for crude protein and 14 days for digestible organic matter.