Cyanide (Colorimetric)

One or more of the following: 

• 8-15 stalks of fresh forage
• baled hay core sample (single probe)
• frozen rumen contents
• frozen tied off stomach (small animal)

Freeze rumen content or tied off stomach (small animal) immediately upon collection and ship to arrive frozen. 

For standing forage, collect 8-15 plants per fenced area. To lighten for shipping, collect all the leaves from the grass plants of one fenced area into a single paper or plastic bag as one sample. 

For baled hay, obtain a drill and hay probe; one may be available to borrow from your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office. Obtain a glass jar with deep threads (canning or mayonnaise, not pickle). Drill the probe into the bale and withdraw, immediately transferring the core sample into the jar and sealing it tightly. Do not put more than one probe sample in the jar. To test more than one bale, obtain additional jars. With written instruction from a client, up to 4 jars may be tested simultaneously as one sample. If more than one sample is shipped, mark each with identity of the fenced area of hay bale lot. 

Forage and rumen content: sealed, leak-proof plastic container or bag. 

Hay: collected and shipped in a tightly sealed glass jar.

Samples should arrive at the lab within 24 hours of collection. Rumen content must arrive frozen.

This is a time sensitive test due to the volatility of cyanide. Contact the lab if uncertain of shipping and sampling instructions.