Useful Information
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      A Quick Guide to Dry Matter (DM)

      What is dry matter % and how can I estimate this?

      Dry Matter (DM) refers to the material remaining after the removal of moisture (water). The DM portion of feed contains the nutrients required by grazing animals such as energy, protein, vitamins and minerals.

      • Hay would normally have a DM% of ~85%

      • Actively growing cereal crops are likely to be ~30-40% DM%

      • Partially cured perennial pastures might be 50-70% DM%.

      The message here is that DM% varies substantially and has a huge effect on estimates.

      The most common method used to determine the DM % of pasture is oven drying.

      1. Place pasture sample in an oven at 80degC for minimum of 12 hours. Weigh again and place back in the oven for another 2hrs and weigh again.

      2. If the weight hasn’t changed it is ready to calculate DM content

      3. DM% = dry weight / wet weight