Hardness is a measurement of the compressive strength of pellets when they are subjected to a compressive force. This measurement enables the cohesion of the pellet (compressive strength) and the force applied by the animal when chewing to be assessed. In France, a number of methods are used to measure this feature of pellets: the Kahl, Sodexim and INRA methods (Tecaliman 1994). In Switzerland and Holland, the animal feed sector has been using a method for measuring the hardness of pharmaceutical tablets (the Schleuniger 6 D method) for several years, however no results have been published on the application of this method for compound feed pellets. The aim of the study undertaken by Tecaliman and the Coopérative de Broons (22) is to determine the performance of the Schleuniger 6 D method when measuring the hardness of compound feed pellets.
