Tag: Feed energy

According to animal nutrition research, gross energy in feed is never fully utilized by an animal. Understanding what is the difference between digestible energy and metabolizable energy is crucial for properly formulating diets and optimizing animal health and production. This distinction accounts for energy lost through waste products and is a more accurate measure of available energy than total or gross energy.

Over 65% of livestock production costs come from feed. Knowing the true energy value of feedstuffs is critical for efficient animal production, making the question of how do we measure the amount of energy in a feed fundamental to modern animal nutrition science and cost management.

While bomb calorimetry measures a feed's gross energy, this total potential energy is not all available to an animal. Understanding how is the energy content of feed determined involves a cascade of measurements to account for digestive losses, providing a true picture of a feed's nutritional value for a balanced nutrition diet.