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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Cell Wall Biology and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302531
Title: Feed analyses and their interpretation

Author
item Hall, Mary Beth

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2014
Publication Date: 11/3/2014
Citation: Hall, M. 2014. Feed analyses and their interpretation. In: Van Saun, R.J., editor. Veterinary Clinics: Food Animal Practice. Volume 30. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. p. 487-505.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Compositional analysis is central to determining the nutritional value of feedstuffs. The utility of the values and how they should be used depends on how representative the feed subsample is, the nutritional relevance of the assays, analytical variability of the analyses, and whether a feed is suitable for analysis by a given assay. Current commercially available analyses for carbohydrates, protein, fats, and nutrient digestibility have brought us closer to nutritionally relevant partitioning of feed fractions. However, other nutritionally useful analyses, such as those describing digestibility of protein fractions or feed content of several carbohydrate fractions, are not commercially available now. Factors affecting interpretation of feed analyses, the nutritional relevance and use of currently available composition and digestibility analyses, as well as additional analytical needs, are discussed.