What exactly is ash in feeds?

[bantam_n00b]

I've been doing some research but i don't know what ash is in chicken feed and how it is nutritious or what the benefits of it is? Does anyone know what ash is and what are its benefits and how much is too much? thanks any help would be appreciated.

 

[KenK]

I think that it refers to the mineral content of whatever grains make up the feed. My little knowledge comes from baking as opposed to chicken feeds.

 

[Chris09]

Ash
The ash content of the feed contains all the minerals in the feed, but can also contain any soil contaminants associated with the feed as well.
The ash content of the feed is determined by placing a weighed sample of dried feed in a furnace and heating it to 500 0C, typically overnight. At this temperature, all the organic materials in the feed (proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins) are burnt away, leaving just the mineral residue. This residue is then weighed and the ash content of the feed (g ash/kg feed DM) is calculated from:
Ash content of the feed = Weight of ash (g)/ weight of dried feed (kg)
The ash content of a feed says nothing about the quality of the feed’s mineral content and other, much more sophisticated and expensive tests must be done to determine how much of different minerals (potassium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese etc.) is provided by the feed.
http://www.smallstock.info/info/feed/chemical.htm

Chris