Animal Nutrition Lab Now in Operation
By Laura Hays

Goodwell, Okla. — The Animal Nutrition Laboratory located in the Science and Agriculture building on the campus of Oklahoma Panhandle State University is now in operation for students. According to OPSU's Dean of Agriculture, Dr. Peter Camfield, all of the equipment in the laboratory has been installed, calibrated, and being used.

The new equipment includes a muffle furnace which determines the amount of minerals in forage; a vacuum freezer that dries meat samples in order to determine what percentage of moisture they contain; an N-Cube machine that finds the amount of protein in forage or meat samples; and an Ankom Fat Analyzer that determines the percentage of fat in forage or meat samples.

Students studying meat science, agronomy, and animal nutrition classes now have the opportunity to use state-of-the-art equipment to measure and analyze feedstuffs. The lab equipment gives the students hands-on experience which will prove useful in graduate school or in the industry.

In addition, those in the agricultural sector will eventually be able to utilize the lab services for feed analysis. This allows producers to determine percentages of protein, fat, and other ingredients in their forage rations so they can adjust additives accordingly.

Because the Oklahoma Panhandle produces more beef and pork than any other part of Oklahoma, this lab will provide a convenient, essential service to area producers. For more information about the Animal Nutrition lab, please contact Camfield at 580-349-1514 or email him at pcamfield@opsu.edu.