Feed buying checklist: sampling, analysis and lot acceptance

1. Define measurable specifications before ordering

Record the ingredient, physical form, quantity, delivery location and agreed acceptance criteria. “Premium quality” is not a measurable specification: request the reporting basis and test method alongside each analytical value. Traceable origins and purchasing records are also part of feed safety management.

A simple implementation is a four-column sheet: parameter, agreed specification, lot result and reviewer decision. Mark untested parameters as pending rather than treating an empty cell as approval.

Section sources: FAO / IFIF — Good Practices for the Feed Industry

2. Make the sample represent the lot

A handful from the surface does not necessarily describe the whole delivery. University of Minnesota guidance emphasizes combining increments taken across a lot and submitting an appropriate subsample. Agree on the quantity, equipment and packaging with the laboratory before sampling.

Give the sample a unique identifier linked to the delivery number, collection time, sampling points and sampler. Ask the laboratory how to retain a reference sample; wet feeds and dry ingredients do not have identical preservation requirements.

Section sources: University of Minnesota Extension — Testing feed and feed ingredients

3. Match the analysis certificate to the delivery

Our proposed receiving check asks for the batch number, sampling date, laboratory, units and whether results are reported as-fed or on a dry-matter basis. A generic product specification is not the same as an analysis of the delivered lot. Resolve mismatched identifiers before blending new material into existing stock.

Keep packaging photographs, received weights and inspection notes alongside the result. This creates a clearer basis for a supplier discussion than an unexplained complaint about poor quality.

4. Compare prices on a consistent basis

Hypothetical example: feed costing 12,000 currency units per kilogram at 88% dry matter costs 12,000 ÷ 0.88, or about 13,636 units per kilogram of dry matter. A second lot priced at 11,500 with 80% dry matter costs 14,375 on the same basis.

This calculation isolates the effect of water. Digestibility, energy, amino acids, freight and losses still matter. Use it to make quotations comparable, not as a complete ration-formulation decision.

5. Close receiving with a clear decision

Give every delivery one documented status: accepted, held for review, or returned under the purchase agreement. Record the decision owner, reason and date. Do not enter stored material or operating equipment to collect a sample; the sampling plan must fit safe access and laboratory instructions.