Contact the GAN Lab
First, contact the GAN Lab. The GAN Lab will mail you a
starter kit that includes a Styrofoam box with ice substitutes, sample sheets,
instructions for collecting the sample and completing the sample sheet, and
additional articles that you may find informative. Additional kits or
boxes available upon request.
Supplies Needed
The GAN Lab supplies Styrofoam boxes, ice substitutes, and
original sample sheet that can be copied for future samples.
You will need to have on hand, plastic bags that seal, mailing
labels, tape, permanent marker, and disposable spoons or gloves for picking up
the sample.
Pleas do not use fold over baggies. As you can imagine,
they leak.
Collecting A Fecal Sample (detailed
directions in PDF format)
Now that you have the GAN Lab starter kit and have read the instructions, you
are ready to begin.
- Freeze the ice pack overnight and label Styrofoam lid with
your address and the GAN Lab address.
- Gather together zip-loc type sandwich or freezer bags,
tape, plastic gloves and/or disposable spoons, permanent marker, pen, sample
form and Styrofoam box.
- One fecal sample can represent a herd or pasture.
Collect a "heaping tablespoon" from 5 to 10 fresh fecal piles to
get a composite sample (no more than a pint). Deposit manure in
bag. Sample should be free of dirt. insects, and grass. The
Styrofoam box should hold 4 to 6 samples and the ice pack.
- All sample to cool to increase the life of the ice
substitute and label each plastic bag with a sample or pasture ID, date
collected and any other pertinent information using a permanent marker. The
label on the bag should match the ID on the sample sheet. Samples can
be frozen and mailed at a later date if more convenient.
- Place in the Styrofoam box the cooled fecal sample, and ice
substitute. In a separate plastic bag, place the completed sample
sheet and any photos of land/cattle that my be useful if you are desiring a NUTBAL
advisory report.
- Seal the box with packing tape and use any mail service
that guarantees two-day delivery, i.e. 2-day Priority Mail through the
Postal Service.
- Receive results 4-5 days after collecting sample via fax or
e-mail.
