Latest News
11.19.24 - Holiday hours, closings, and cancellations
As the holidays quickly approach, please be aware of our upcoming closings, pickup route cancellations, and delays in analysis due to these interruptions. We highly recommend getting samples submitted early to avoid the associated delays. Please call if you have specific questions about our schedule of analysis.
Closed for Thanksgiving season: Nov. 28th and 29th
Closed for Christmas season: Dec. 24th and 25th
Closed for New Years: Jan. 1, 2025
Convenience Routes will NOT be running on dates when the laboratory is closed.
Thank you for your understanding as our team takes time to enjoy this special season with their family and friends! We wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and very Merry Christmas, and look forward to serving you in 2025!
11.12.24 - Enhanced Nutrition Report Features: KPS Indicators
As the industry continues to use Kernel Processing Score (KPS) at harvest and feedout to benchmark corn silage grain feeding value, we’ve added a Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) KPS Indicator on our nutrition analysis reports to better inform ration decisions.
‘Likely above 70’ denotes a high probability for KPS at or above 70; alternatively ‘Likely below 70’ depicts the opposite. The 70% threshold has been a long-standing goal, and our current interpretive guidelines for standard KPS test results can be found and downloaded here. For samples likely below 70, producers should consider assessing KPS with traditional methods
This new indicator is available within our Comprehensive Nutrition Analysis (CNA) by NIR for corn silage. Read the Frequently Asked Questions here and try it out today!
10.22.24 - New Total Tract Fat Digestibility Tool
Fat supplements in dairy diets are expensive and there is likely a range in supplement digestibility. Thanks to collaborative research with the UW-Madison College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, we have a new tool to assess total tract fat digestibility (TTFD) in lactating dairy diets. TTFD cattle can be predicted with fecal fat, much like fecal starch has been used to project total tract starch digestibility. Read the details, guidelines, and benchmarks, here.
10.09.24 - Enhanced Nutrition Report Features: Forage Nitrate Nitrogen
Today we are launching a new, novel Forage Nitrate Nitrogen indicator on Rock River Laboratory nutrition analysis reports. These new categorical predictions stand to assist our customers by supplying additional information to guide decision-making. Learn more about this new report feature in our downloadable FAQs document, and choose any of our Comprehensive Nutrition Analysis (CNA) by NIR packages to start seeing this reported - for applicable feed types!
10.08.24 - New Indiana Convenience Route
A new Convenience Route has been set up in Indiana. Get your samples to Rock River Laboratory - Ohio in a timely manner using our new drop boxes spread out across key locations in the state, with pickups on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Check out the exact drop off spots, and pickup timing, on our website map here, or in the FeedScan app after collecting your samples!
10.02.24 - New Data Distillation: The Dirty Truth About Straw
A new Data Distillation is now available! Learn more about what's hiding in the straw you might be incorporating into the ration, with references from our robust database, from team member Cliff Ocker. Read it here.
09.26.24 - Agronomy Customer Reminders for Fall Soil Season
As the fall soil season begins, we're sharing a few reminders to ensure that your samples make it safely to the laboratory for analysis:
- If dropping samples at a dropbox, please don't wedge samples into dropboxes - place them next to the box in a container or box and our drivers will collect them at pickup
- If placing loose samples into our dropboxes, please don't insert more than 20 soil samples.
- Please keep box weights within the 35 to 40 pounds at most so our drivers can safely pick them up
- If you'd like to be on our regular soil pickup routes, please call Geoff at 920-342-0374
We wish everyone a safe and successful fall season!
07.01.24 - Rock River Laboratory Ohio: New Convenience Route
Rock River Laboratory-Ohio has added a new Convenience Route drop box at Cornerstone Merchandise (7316 Amstutz Rd. Shiloh,OH).
Get all the details for these convenient new sample drop locations, here.
06.26.24 - Rock River Laboratory New York: New Convenience Routes
Rock River Laboratory-Northeast has added two new Convenience Route drop boxes at Verona Veterinary Services (5633 NY-31 Verona, NY) and Gold Star Feed and Grain (1 Richer Drive Adams Center, NY).
Get all the details for these convenient new sample drop locations, here.
06.11.24 - Rock River Laboratory Welcomes Two Summer Interns
Rock River Laboratory is happy to welcome two new summer inters, Amèrica Bernal and Tyler DeGroot, to the team. Read more about them here.
05.23.24 - New Blog Post: High Oleic Soybeans: The feed of the future?
The latest blog post written by John Goeser discussing the pros and cons of incorporating high oleic soybeans into a dairy ration is now available. Read it here.
05.13.24 - New Technical Bulltein: MILK2024 Implications
The latest technical bullletin is now available! Our analysis of the Milk2024 index implications for animal nutrition can be found here.
04.08.24 - New Data Distillation: Corn Grain Quality
A new Data Distillation is now available! Learn how the 2023 Miwestern and Western shelled corn quality looks against prior years, according to our database, as outlined by team member John Goeser. Read it here.
02.21.24 - Western New York Convenience Route Additions
We have expanded our dropbox options to Rock River Laboratory New York! Two new boxes have been added for customer convenience on the western New York route. Location details can be found here, as well as within the FeedScan app. Both boxes are picked up on Tuesdays and Thursdays when we are notified. Please call before 5pm when samples are dropped at either box:
Country Crossroads Feed & Seed
94 Front St.
Addison, NY 14801
---------------------------
Maybury Farms
1535 Yellow Tavern Rd.
Waterloo, NY 13165
01.08.24 - Sign Up for Text Alerts and be the First to Know Weather-Influenced Changes
As winter rolls on and weather predictions become a little more harsh, now is a great time to sign up for Rock River Laboratory text alerts. Be the first to know if Convenience Routes are cancelled or labs are closed due to inclement weather. Text alerts are one more easy-to-use tool to help your day run a little smoother. Click here for details on how to sign up for your region or lab of choice.
01.04.24 - New Ohio Convenience Route and Wisconsin Route Additions
Beginning Tuesday, 1/9, Rock River Laboratory-Ohio will be collecting samples from a new Convenience Route. Customers can now drop samples in Rock River Laboratory marked dropboxes at the following locations to get samples to the lab for analysis. Please note, this route only run on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
| Centerra Country Store |
1290 Middle Rowsburg Rd., Ashland, OH |
Tuesday and Thursday, After 4:00 PM |
|
WG Dairy Supply |
12993 Cleveland Rd., Suite B, Creston, OH |
Tuesday and Thursday, After 4:30 PM |
| Hartville Strip Mall | 238 Kent Ave. NE, Hartville, OH |
Tuesday and Thursday, After 5:15 PM |
| Progressive Dairy Solutions | 3990 OH-14, Columbiana, OH |
Tuesday and Thursday, After 6:00 PM |
The Wisconsin Convenience Route is also adding a location! Customers on the east side of the state can begin utilizing a Rock River Laboratory dropbox at Fleet Farm, 800 S. Military Rd., Fond Du Lac, Wis. on Monday, 1/8. Pickup time will be 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday.
All location addresses will be available on our website map as well as on FeedScan starting 1/9 for easy access when you're on the road. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to work on expanding opportunities for sample submission logistics!