Proximate analysis determines the percentage of key nutrients like fat, carbohydrates, protein, moisture and ash in a feed. It was developed in 1865 and separates feed components into six fractions: moisture, ash, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, and nitrogen-free extract. It provides important information about a feed's ability to meet animal nutrient requirements and allows comparisons between feeds based on specific nutrients, making it useful for purchasing and ration formulation decisions.

1. Proximate analysis
• It is quantitative analysis of feed to determine the percentage of fat, carbohydrates, proteins,
moisture and ash.
• Come up in 1865 by Henneberg and Stohmann at Weende’s Experiment Station in Germany.
• It is often referred to as the Weende’s System of Analysis
• And is principally devised to separate carbohydrates into two broad classifications; crude fibre and
nitrogen free extract (NFE).
Principle:
To separate the feed components into groups or fractions in accordance with their feeding value This
system of analysis divides the food into six fractions:
– moisture,
– ash,
– crude protein (CP),
– ether extract (EE),
– crude fibre (CF) and
– Nitrogen-free extractives (NFE).
Importance
• It provides firsthand information about the potentiality of the feed to fulfill the required nutrient
• To ensure that feed products meet the appropriate requirements as well as the safety aspects
of the end products when released to the end animals.

2. • Proximate analysis allows us to
make comparisons of feeds on the
basis of specific nutrients.
• This makes it possible to know
how much better one feed is
than another in terms of specific
nutrients.
• It is common basis for feed
purchasing and ration
formulation.
• Easy to handle and process is
simple and economical