Common Terms Used in

ANIMAL FEEDING
AND NUTRITION
Uttam Saha
Program Coordinator
Feed and Environmental Water Laboratory

Leticia Sonon
Program Coordinator
Soil, Plant, and Water Laboratory

Dennis Hancock
Assistant Professor
Extension Forage Specialist

Nicholas Hill
Professor
Crop and Soil Sciences

Lawton Stewart
Assistant Professor
Extension Beef Specialist

Gary Heusner
Professor
Extension Equine Specialist

David E. Kissel
Professor and Director
Agricultural and Environmental Services
Laboratories
The largest operating cost in a livestock production enterprise is the feed bill. To keep this cost low, one must sup-
ply the right amount of feed to the animals. Overfeeding is wasteful. Underfeeding will decrease animal perfor-
mance and profitability. Therefore, proper animal feeding and nutrition are crucial to the profitability of the live-
stock enterprise.

Laboratory analyses of the composition of feed or forage are used to assess their nutritive value (Figure 1). A typi-
cal feed analysis includes measurements of some important quality attributes or parameters (e.g., crude protein,
fiber, digestibility, etc.) used to define nutritive value. Other parameters are analyzed under some special circum-
stances. For example, acid detergent insoluble crude protein (ADICP) is usually only measured if heat damage to
the feed is suspected.

Feed or Forage Sample

Dry
Water Removed
Organic Matter (Burned)
Burn
Moisture Free Feed/Dry Matter (Remains)
Ash (Remains):
Neutral Detergent Extraction Various Minerals and Sand

Neutral Detergent Solubles (NDS) Insoluble: Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF)

Acid
NDSC:
Detergent
NDSF: Fructans, Glucans, Pectic Substances Extraction
Sugars, Starches, Organic Acids

Soluble: Hemicellulose Insoluble:

NPN:
Crude Protein RUP/DIP
-Urea Fiber (ADF)
-Amino Acids -Cellulose
-Amines -Lignin
Degradable -Fiber-bound N
True Proteins
-Heat-damaged N
Undegradable
Ether Extracts:

Pigments and Waxes

Abbreviations: DIP = Degradable Intake Protein; NDSC = Neutral Detergent Soluble Carbohydrate; NDSF = Neutral
Detergent Soluble Fiber; NPN = Non Protein Nitrogen; RUP = Rumen Undegradable Protein.
Figure 1. A schematic that describes the partitioning of organic and mineral components in a feed and forage sample.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 3
Many of the parameters included in laboratory reports tion of the protein reacts with carbohydrates (fiber) to
are calculated or estimated from measured feed quality form an indigestible complex, rendering it unavailable
attributes. For example, digestible energy, total digest- for digestion. This parameter is also reported as acid
ible nutrients and intake potential are all estimated detergent insoluble protein (ADIP), acid detergent in-
from the concentration of the various fiber components soluble nitrogen (ADIN) or acid detergent fiber protein
and the relationship between them. The University of (ADFP). It is expressed as a percent of crude protein.
Georgia’s Feed and Environmental Water Laboratory It is an adequate estimate of heat-damaged protein in
(FEWL) is located in Athens and dedicated to provid- forage feeds but not in non-forage feeds (Nakamura et
ing objective analyses of feeds and forages. This is in al., 1994).
line with UGA’s mission as a land-grant university to
provide unbiased interpretations, recommendations and Aflatoxins
pertinent educational materials to enhance the profit- Fungal or mold growth in or on foods and feed can
ability and sustainability of livestock production sys- result in the production of many different types of toxic
tems in the state. biochemicals. As a group, these toxic substances are
commonly called mycotoxins. The term aflatoxins refers
The purpose of this publication is to serve as an educa- to a particular group of mycotoxins produced by some
tional reference and resource to those who are interest- species of the genus Aspergillus. There are four major
ed in animal feeding and nutrition. Our primary objec- aflatoxins named B1, B2, G1, G2 plus two additional
tive is to list the common terms used when discussing metabolic products known as M1 and M2 that are of
animal feeding so that one might be better informed significance as direct contaminants of foods and feeds.
when consulting with county Extension personnel,
feed salesmen, animal nutritionists, veterinarians, feed Fungal (or mold) growth and aflatoxin contamination
laboratory managers and other industry professionals. are the consequence of interactions among the fungi,
This listing will also be helpful when reading articles the host (foods or feeds) and the environment. On
on animal feeding and nutrition, feed analysis reports or a standing crop, aflatoxin contamination of peanuts
tags associated with feeds sold in the market. and corn is favored by high temperatures, prolonged
drought conditions and high insect activity, while post-
Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) harvest production of aflatoxins on corn and peanuts
The fibrous component represents the least digestible is favored by higher water content, warm temperatures
fiber portion of forage or other roughage. This highly and high humidity. Forages are generally not analyzed
indigestible part of forage includes lignin, cellulose, for aflatoxins but in some situations (e.g., corn or sor-
silica and insoluble forms of nitrogen but not hemicel- ghum silage that is at risk) this analysis may be war-
lulose. Forages with higher ADF are lower in digestible ranted.
energy than forages with lower ADF, which means that
as the ADF level increases, digestible energy levels de- The presence of aflatoxins in feeds, forages and foods is
crease. During laboratory analysis, ADF is the residue an important anti-quality factor and is associated with
remaining after boiling a forage sample in acid deter- various diseases in livestock, domestic animals and hu-
gent solution. ADF is often used to calculate digestibil- mans that are broadly termed aflatoxicosis. Aflatoxico-
ity, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and/or net energy sis is primarily a hepatic (liver) disease. Liver damage,
for lactation (NEl). decreased reproductive performance, reduced milk or
egg production, embryonic death, teratogenicity (birth
Acid Detergent Insoluble Crude Protein defects), tumors and suppressed immune system func-
(ADICP) or Acid Detergent Fiber-Crude Protein tion are caused by aflatoxins even when low levels are
(ADFCP) consumed.
ADICP (or ADFCP) is the insoluble protein fraction
remaining in the acid detergent fiber residue of a feed The FDA’s (Food and Drug Administration) action
sample. ADICP escapes ruminal breakdown and rep- level for human food is 20 ppb total aflatoxins, with the
resents the portion of the protein that is not degrad- exception of milk, which has an action level of 0.5 ppb
able and is therefore unavailable to the animal. It also for aflatoxin M1. The FDA action level for most feeds
contains any heat-damaged protein that may result from is also 20 ppb (Table 1).
heating during storage or processing. In this case, a por-
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
Table 1. FDA action levels for aflatoxins§ Ash
Action level The residue containing inorganic mineral elements of
Commodity (µg/kg or ppb) a feed sample, determined in a laboratory by burning
All products, except milk, designated for 20 the sample at a high temperature (removing the organic
humans matter) and weighing the residue (i.e., ash).
Milk 0.5
Corn for immature animals and dairy 20 As-fed Basis
cattle Feed analyses reports often state results based on the
Corn for breeding beef cattle, swine and 100 feed’s natural state (i.e., including water) and/or on
mature poultry a dry matter basis. The term “As-fed Basis” is used
Corn for finishing swine 200 to alert the reader that the analytical results of a feed
Corn for beef cattle 300 sample are based on its natural state including water.
Cottonseed meal (as a feed ingredient) 300 That means it is affected by the sample’s moisture level
All feedstuff other than corn 20 before drying. This may also be referred to by the terms
§
According to compliance policy guides 7120.26, 7106.10 “As-is Basis” or “As-received Basis.” When comparing
and 7126.33. two or more analyses, it is generally best to utilize the
data from the “Dry Matter Basis” rather than the “As-
If the level of aflatoxins in forage is higher than the ac- fed Basis” unless you are mixing a ration for feeding.
tion level, it may be fed in combination with other feeds
containing low levels of or no aflatoxins. Balanced Ration
Complete feed formulated to provide a specific ani-
Amino Acids mal species and class with appropriate amounts of all
A class of nitrogen-containing molecules containing an nutrients required for maintenance and a given level of
amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side chain performance.
that varies between different amino acids. Amino acids
are the building blocks from which protein is made in Botulism
the body. There are 20 known standard amino acids Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by
forming various proteins. When taken up into the body botulinum toxin, a potent neurotoxin produced mainly
in the diet, the 20 standard amino acids are either used by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and also by a
to synthesize proteins and other biomolecules or broken few strains of C. baratii and C. butyricum. Clostridium
down into urea and carbon dioxide. Of the 20 standard botulinum is an anaerobic (can only grow under anaero-
amino acids, eight are called essential amino acids and bic conditions) bacterium that usually grows when the
the other 12 are called non-essential amino acids. Ani- pH of the growing medium is greater than 4.6.
mals (including humans) cannot synthesize the essential
amino acids from other compounds at the level needed Botulism can result from the ingestion of the toxin or
for normal growth, so they must be obtained from food the growth of C. botulinum on anaerobic food/feed
(hence they are called essential amino acids). tissues. Seven types of botulinum toxin, designated A
through G, have been identified. Types A, B, E and F
Anti-quality Factors cause illness in humans. Type C is the most common
Apart from nutrients, forages may contain various cause of botulism in animals. Type D is sometimes
harmful compounds that can adversely affect animal seen in cattle and dogs, and type B can occur in horses.
performance and cause sickness or even death. These Types A and E are found occasionally in mink and
compounds are called anti-quality factors and include birds. Type G rarely causes disease, although a few
tannins, nitrates, alkaloids, cyanoglycosides, estrogens cases have been seen in humans. All types of botulinum
and mycotoxins. The occurrence and/or severity of toxin produce the same disease; however, the toxin type
these factors depend on the forage and weed species is important if anti-toxin is used for treatment.
present, season, environmental conditions and sensitiv-
ity of the animal. High-quality forages should be free The toxins come from a variety of sources. Decaying
from harmful levels of anti-quality components. vegetable matter (e.g., grass, hay, grain, spoiled silage)
and carcasses can cause botulism in animals. Ruminants

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 5
may inadvertently be fed hay or silage contaminated organisms in the rumen. When utilizing the chemistry
by carcasses of birds or mammals that may contain the associated with the Van Soest Detergent Fiber Frac-
toxin. Horses usually ingest the toxin in contaminated tions, cellulose is estimated as follows:
forage. Cellulose = ADF – (ADL + Ash), where ADF is
acid detergent fiber and ADL is acid detergent lignin
Botulinum toxins are large proteins that can be easily
denatured. Toxins exposed to sunlight are inactivated Concentrates
within one to three hours. Botulinum can also be inacti- Concentrates refer to animal feeds that are rich in ener-
vated by 0.1% sodium hypochlorite, 0.1 M NaOH, heat- gy and/or protein but low in fiber, such as corn, soybean
ing to 80°C for 30 minutes or 100°C for 10 minutes. meal, oats, wheat, molasses, etc.
Chlorine and other disinfectants can destroy the toxins
in water. Crude Fat
Crude fat is an estimate of the total fat content of feeds
By-pass Protein taken from older collection of methods known as proxi-
The portion of intake protein that has a slow rate of de- mate methodology. The crude fat is estimated using
gradability in the rumen. It is fed so that it may escape ether extraction. Crude fat contains true fat (triglyc-
digestion in the rumen, reach the lower gastrointestinal erides) as well as alcohols, waxes, terpenes, steroids,
(GI) tract essentially intact and be digested directly in pigments, ester, aldehydes and other lipids. See Ether
the small intestine as it would be in non-ruminants. This Extract and Fat.
can provide a balance of amino acids unaltered by mi-
crobial digestion and synthesis. By-pass protein is also Crude Fiber (CF)
known as undegradable intake protein (UIP), rumen This older proximate method was used to divide car-
undegradable protein (RUP) or escape protein. bohydrates into digestible and indigestible fractions.
When CF content is higher, the energy content of the
Carbohydrates feed is lower because crude fiber is considered indigest-
Carbohydrates are biochemical compounds composed ible. Measuring crude fiber was one part of the original
only of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and system of analyzing the “digestible” fraction in feed-
are the main source of energy for animals. Animals get stuffs. This method uses sequential acid and alkali ex-
the majority of their required energy from the carbo- traction. It was developed by Henneberg and Sttohmann
hydrates in feeds. Carbohydrates are polymers made during the 1860s at the Weende Experiment Station in
of basic sugar units, such as glucose (the most abun- Germany, and is often referred to as the Weende System
dant), fructose, galactose, etc. The two major classes of of proximate analysis. The CF extract was once used
carbohydrates in plants are known as non-structural and as a standard analysis for fibrous parts or the indigest-
structural. Those that serve as storage and energy re- ible portion of carbohydrates in feeds. However, some
serves and that are available for more rapid metabolism of these substances are partially digestible by micro-
to supply energy (e.g., sugars, starch, and pectin) are organisms in the rumen. Crude fiber accounts for most
referred to as non-structural carbohydrates. Those car- of the cellulose but only a portion of the lignin and no
bohydrate fractions that are not used for energy storage ash, so it underestimates true fiber and is less than acid
and provide fiber and anatomical features for rigidity detergent fiber (ADF). Thus, CF is not a good indicator
and even water transport are known as structural car- of digestibility in ruminant animals, and the use of this
bohydrates (e.g., fibrous cellulose and hemi-cellulose). parameter in feeds for ruminants is declining.
Non-structural carbohydrates are more available for
energy metabolism than the structural carbohydrates. Even though CF is not a very useful parameter for
quantifying forage fiber where lignin content is sub-
Cellulose stantial, the CF is a reasonable estimate of the fiber
Cellulose is a major structural carbohydrate that is pres- in grains because of their low lignin content. Thus, it
ent in plant cell walls. Cellulose is an unbranched chain is still commonly used for analysis of feeds for non-
of 7,000 to 15,000 glucose molecules that are linked ruminants or monogastric animals (i.e., those that do
together by β-1,4 bonds. Cellulose is a major part of the not have a chambered stomach or rumen; for example,
structural fiber in forages and can be utilized by micro- horses and pigs). Crude fiber is still used today as the

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
legal measurement of fiber in grains and finished feeds. in most forage-based feeding. An overemphasis on CP
See Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Neutral Detergent may cause one to fail to pay due attention to meeting
Fiber (NDF) for contrast. energy requirements. Furthermore, CP is merely an
estimate of nitrogen content (N, % × 6.25 = CP, %) and
Crude Protein (CP) must be considered in context of plant maturity, species,
Proteins are organic compounds composed of building fertilization rate and many other characteristics. For
blocks called amino acids. They are a major compo- example, a high nitrate concentration in the forage will
nent of vital organs, tissue, muscle, hair, skin, milk and result in an artificially high CP level.
enzymes. Protein is required on a daily basis for main-
tenance, lactation, growth and reproduction.
Degradable Intake Protein (DIP)
The crude protein content of a feed sample represents The DIP, also called Rumen Degradable Protein (RDP),
the total nitrogen (N) in the diet, which includes not represents the portion of intake crude protein (CP) that
only true protein but also non-protein nitrogen (e.g., can be digested or degraded to ammonia and amino
urea and ammonia in a feed; nitrate is not included in acids in the rumen by microbes. This fraction of CP
non-protein nitrogen). Because N is an integral part of consists of non-protein nitrogen (e.g., urea and am-
any amino acid, non-protein nitrogen has the potential monia in treated silage) plus the true proteins that are
to be utilized for protein synthesis by rumen microor- soluble and those having intermediate ruminal degrad-
ganisms. In laboratory analysis, total N present in a feed ability. They are used to synthesize microbial protein in
sample is first determined and then the total amount of the rumen. The RDP or DIP is expressed as a percent-
protein is calculated by multiplying the total N by a fac- age of CP, where DIP = NPN + Soluble True Protein +
tor. This factor is 6.25 for forages because leaf and stem True Protein of Intermediate Degradability.
tissue proteins generally contain 16 percent nitrogen,
or one part nitrogen to 6.25 parts protein. For seeds, Detergent Fiber Analysis
this factor is different (e.g., 5.70 for wheat and 5.90 for Since crude fiber (CF) has been found to have an
other cereal grains). Unless otherwise stated, protein unsatisfactory relationship with animal performance,
values given in lab reports, feed tables and feed tags are it has limited value in ruminant nutrition. Most feed
crude protein. analysis laboratories do not use the proximate analysis
system (of which CF was a part) and have replaced it
Because the protein content of forages, silages or grains with the Van Soest detergent fiber analysis system. The
used in animal feeding are sometimes inadequate to technique of using detergents to separate digestible and
meet the needs of the animal class, protein supplements indigestible parts of plant tissues was originally pro-
become essential. Consequently, analysis for total pro- posed by Van Soest in 1963. The concept behind the
tein or crude protein in a feed sample is important. detergent fiber analysis is that plant cell substances can
be divided into less digestible cell walls (made of hemi-
Crude protein in feeds for ruminants can be further cellulose, cellulose and lignin) and the highly digestible
fractionated according to their rate of breakdown in the cell contents (containing starch and sugars). These two
rumen, as discussed below for neutral detergent fiber components are successfully separated by using two
insoluble crude protein (NDFICP) and discussed previ- different detergent systems:
ously for acid detergent fiber insoluble crude protein • A neutral detergent solution of sodium-lauryl sulfate
(ADFICP). (C12H25NaO4S) in disodium ethylenediaminetetraac-
etate (C10H14N2Na2O8) and sodium borate (Na2B4O7)
No doubt, CP is an important indicator of the protein with pH =7.0 (Van Soest, 1963a); and
content of a forage crop, and even estimates of non- • An acid detergent solution of cetyl-trimethyl-am-
protein nitrogen are important in evaluating nutritive monium-bromide (C19H42BrN) in 1N sulfuric acid
value. However, it is a false perception that protein is (Van Soest, 1963b; Van Soest and Wine, 1967).
always the most limiting nutrient in the animal’s diet
and CP is the ultimate measure of a forage quality. In a sequential analysis, the feed sample is initially
In fact, the energy value of forages is often the most boiled in the neutral detergent solution to separate the
limiting attribute for meeting an animal’s requirements neutral detergent soluble fraction (cell contents) from

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 7
the neutral detergent insoluble fraction (cell walls). The suring in vitro or in situ digestibility. Both of these
cell contents are highly digestible (about 98 percent) analyses are rather expensive and laborious. So, in vitro
and include various sugars, starches, pectins and other digestibility is frequently estimated by near infrared
soluble carbohydrates, proteins, non-protein nitrog- reflectance (NIR) analysis and/or estimated from the
enous compounds, lipids, water-soluble minerals and acid detergent fiber. The DDM can be calculated as fol-
vitamins. The remaining dry matter is estimated and the lows: %DDM = 88.9- [0.779 × %ADF (on a dry matter
proportion gives the neutral detergent fiber (NDF). basis)].

In sequential analysis, the NDF is then further fraction- Digestible Energy (DE)
ated by boiling in the acid detergent solution. Hemicel- Digestible energy provides an indication of the actual
lulose is solubilized during this procedure while lignin amount of energy from a feed that can be available for
and cellulose remain insoluble. The residue remaining use by the animal. It is estimated by subtracting energy
after boiling NDF in acid detergent solution is called lost in the feces (fecal energy or FE) from the gross
acid detergent fiber (ADF). Cellulose is then separated intake energy (GE), (i.e., DE = GE – FE). Digestible
(i.e., solubilized) by adding sulfuric acid. Only lignin energy is commonly used to evaluate poultry and horse
and acid insoluble ash remain after this step. The resi- feed. For poultry feed, DE is considered as an appropri-
due is then combusted in a furnace, and the difference ate measure of feed quality, because FE is almost the
of the weights before and after ashing yields the amount sole form of energy loss during digestion. However,
of lignin that was present in the sample. in horses, given that FE only partially accounts for the
energy losses (considerable losses also occur via urine
Generally, and gases) in the process of the utilization of nutrients,
• NDF = Hemicellulose + Cellulose + Lignin + Ash DE may over-estimate low quality feeds relative to high
• ADF = Cellulose + Lignin + Ash quality feeds.

Hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin are indigestible in Digestible Neutral Detergent Fiber (dNDF)
non-ruminants, while hemicellulose and cellulose are The 48-hour in vitro digestible fraction of Neutral
partially digestible in ruminants. NDF is a good indica- Detergent Fiber (NDF) is expressed as a percentage of
tor of the “bulk” fiber and has been used to predict feed the dry matter content of a feed sample. Contrast with
intake. In contrast, ADF is a good indicator of digest- Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestiblity (NDFD) below.
ibility (negatively correlated) and thus energy intake.
Distillers Grains
The detergent fiber analysis system is the most widely Distillers grains are residual grains or byproducts re-
accepted method for forage analysis. However, many maining after the starch from grains has been fermented
agencies still base part of their regulations on terms in to alcohol. Traditionally, alcohol was produced mainly
the proximate. As a result, both methods are used in for beverages by the liquor industry. However, in the
most laboratories, including the University of Georgia’s last 25 years its use as an alternative fuel has increased
Feed and Environmental Water Laboratory. significantly. This increased demand has led to the
development of ethanol production plants in various
Digestibility places in the U.S. With increasing ethanol production,
Digestibility refers to the extent to which a feedstuff the opportunity currently exists for using a substantial
is absorbed in the animal body as it passes through an quantity of distillers grains as feed in livestock industry.
animal’s digestive tract. It varies greatly with the type
of feedstuff and type of animal concerned. Dry Matter (DM)
Dry matter represents everything contained in a feed
Digestible Dry Matter (DDM) or Dry Matter sample except water; this includes protein, fiber, fat,
Digestibility (DMD) minerals, etc. In practice, it is the total weight of feed
DDM (or DMD) is the portion of the dry matter in a minus the weight of water in the feed, expressed as a
feed that is digested by animals at a specified level of percentage. It is determined by drying the feed sample
feed intake. There is no direct laboratory method for in an oven until the sample reaches a stable weight.
measuring DDM/DMD. It is often estimated by mea- This is normally a simple analysis. However, estimates

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
of the DM of fermented materials such as silage are Though these calculations have been proven to provide
complicated by the presence of volatile fatty acids. reasonable estimates of DMI, the estimates are not
These acids are removed in the drying process but they perfect. Dry matter intake is affected by the condition
are part of the dry matter and are digestible. This intro- of the animal (e.g., age, body weight, pregnancy status,
duces a variable amount of error. Analysis of the fodder level of milk production, etc.), feed factors (e.g., palat-
without ensiling provides a more accurate estimate of ability, balance of the diet, anti-quality factors in the
fiber fractions and digestibility contained in the silage. feed, etc.) and the feeding environment (e.g., tempera-
ture, humidity, etc.).
Dry Matter Basis
Dry matter basis indicates the nutrient levels in a feed Ensiled
sample based on its dry matter content (i.e., excluding Ensiled refers to the plant materials preserved by anaer-
its water content). This is also referred to as “Dry Ba- obic fermentation and typically stored in a bag, bunker,
sis,” “Dry Results” or “Moisture-free Basis.” As there wrapped bale or upright silo.
is considerable variation in the water content of forages,
excluding the water or expressing the nutrient levels on Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates (ESC)
a dry matter basis eliminates the dilution effect of the ESCs are the carbohydrates that can be solubilized and
water, thereby providing the essential common basis for extracted in 80 percent ethanol. ESC includes primarily
direct comparison of the nutrient contents across differ- monosaccharides and disaccharides.
ent forages.
Ether Extract
Dry Matter Intake (DMI) Ether extract is a portion of dry matter extracted with
Dry matter intake is the amount of (or prediction of the ether. It is a laboratory test to approximate the total
amount of) dry matter consumed by the animal and is fat (or crude fat) content of a feed and includes some
a central concept to any discussion of animal nutrition. waxes, pigments and other lipids to a minor degree in
Typically, intake increases as the digestibility of the for- addition to true fats.
age increases. However, anti-quality components such
as tannins and alkaloids in feeds and forages may de- Fat
crease intake. Scientists have consistently observed that Chemically, fats are “triglycerides of fatty acids” that
as the percent of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) increases are a high-density source of energy for animals. Fat is
in the feed, animals consume less (i.e., DMI is less). rich in energy; it contains 2.25 to 2.8 times the energy
This relationship, along with estimates of NDF digest- found in carbohydrates and is highly digestible. Fat is
ibility, is used to estimate DMI for grasses and legumes added to rations to boost energy levels when intake may
using the following equations: be limited due to poor animal health, less palatable feed
or environmental stress. Some concentrates (such as
DMIGrass = –2.318 + 0.442×CP – 0.0100×CP2 – soybean meal) contain relatively high levels of fats and

0.0638×TDN + 0.000922×TDN2 + 0.180×ADF – Oba and Allen (1999)].

0.00196×ADF2 – 0.00529×CP×ADF

Where DMIGrass is expressed as % of BW, and CP

(Crude Protein), ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber), and
TDN (Total Digestible Nutrient) are expressed as %
of DM (Moore and Kunkle, 1999).

120 (NDFD - 45) x 0.374

DMILegume = NDF + 1350 x100

Where DMILegume is expressed as % of BW, NDF

(Neutral Detergent Fiber) as % of DM, and NDFD
(48-hour in vitro NDF digestibility) as % of NDF
[Mertens (1987) with NDFD adjustment proposed by
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 9
oils. Fats are composed of building blocks called
fatty acids. Fats in feed samples are typically
determined through ether extraction (EE). In addition
to fat, EE may solubilize some other compounds like
plant pig- ments, esters and aldehydes. This is why
the measure- ment of fat through EE is called crude
fat. True fat can be measured by determining the
content of fatty acids or it can be estimated in forages
as ether extract minus one.

Forage
Forage refers to plants or plant parts other than
separat- ed grains fed to or grazed by domestic
animals. Forage may be fresh, dry or ensiled (e.g.,
pasture, green chop, hay, haylage).

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
Forage Quality In Vitro Digestibility or In Vitro Dry Matter
Forage quality refers to the ability of a forage to support Digestibility (IVDMD)
desired levels of animal performance (e.g., daily gain In vitro digestibility of a feed is determined by incubat-
or milk production). It is a function of voluntary intake ing a ground feed sample with rumen fluid in a beaker
and nutritive value (nutrient content and digestibility). or test tube for 24 to 48 hours, followed either by ad-
dition of acid and pepsin and further incubation for 24
Gross Energy (GE) hours or by boiling in neutral detergent fiber solution.
Gross energy refers to the total energy in a feed before
accounting for losses due to normal digestive, meta- In Situ Digestibility
bolic and productive functions. It is determined by In situ digestibility is determined by incubating a
measuring the amount of heat produced when a feed ground forage sample in a porous nylon bag placed
is completely oxidized in a bomb calorimeter. It is not within the rumen via a fistula or port in the animal’s
a very useful measure since the gross energy in most side (in situ) for a fixed time period.
common feeds is about the same, but they do not result
in similar animal performance. For example, GE in oat Laboratory Proficiency
grain = GE in oat straw. The appropriateness of the analytical procedures used
and the precision of laboratory techniques are deter-
Heat Damage mined by many factors (e.g., skills of technicians, qual-
Heat damage is the result of exposing the feedstuff ity of the chemicals and water, etc.), which describe the
to excessive heat during processing or storage, which ultimate accuracy and precision of forage analysis. The
irreversibly binds protein to the fiber (carbohydrates) National Forage Testing Association (NFTA) certifies
portion of the feed through a chemical reaction called the proficiency of laboratories with regard to accurately
“Maillard Reaction” or “Browning Reaction,” thus testing hay and corn silage for DM, CP, ADF, NDF and
making proteins partially or wholly unavailable for minerals. Using an NFTA-certified laboratory is a safe
digestion. Also see Acid Detergent Insoluble Crude option for testing your forages. For a current listing
Protein. of certified laboratories, as well as more information
about proficiency testing, visit NFTA’s Web site (www.
Hemicellulose foragetesting.org). Both the Wet Chemistry and Near
Like cellulose, hemicellulose is a carbohydrate that Infrared Spectroscopy laboratories of the University of
exists in almost all plant cell walls along with cellu- Georgia’s Feed and Environmental Laboratory are certi-
lose. Whereas cellulose is composed only of glucose, fied by NFTA.
hemicellulose is composed of many other sugars (e.g.,
glucose, xylose, mannose, galactose, arabinose, etc.) Lignin
in chains of 500 to 3,000 sugar units. Hemicellulose Lignin is a complex carbohydrate compound, a major
is a branched polymer. In contrast, cellulose is not structural component of mature plants, contained in the
branched. As hemicellulose content increases in animal fibrous portion of plant stems, leaves, cobs and hulls.
feed, the voluntary feed intake typically decreases. It is undigestible and hence has a negative impact on
cellulose digestibility. As the lignin content in a feed
International Unit (IU) increases, digestibility of its cellulose decreases, there-
A standard unit of potency of a biological agent (e.g., by lowering the amount of energy potentially available
vitamin, hormone, antibiotic, antitoxin); also called a to the animal. The term “lignin” was derived from the
USP unit in the U.S. Latin word “lignum,” meaning wood, since it most
commonly occurs in the woody tissues of plant materi-
In Vitro als.
In vitro (Latin for “within the glass”) generally refers to
the technique of performing a given biological proce- Lipids
dure in a controlled environment outside of a living Lipids are substances found in plant and animal tis-
organism. In other words, it is a process that is carried sues that are insoluble in water but soluble in benzene
out in a test tube. In feed testing, in vitro refers to a feed or ether; lipids include glycolipids, phosphoglycerides,
sample that is digested in test tubes or tested outside the fats, oils, waxes and steroids.
animal.
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 11
Lysine Measuring the amounts of energy lost in gaseous form
Lysine is an essential amino acid for protein synthesis. and in the urine is more difficult than measuring the
It is the first limiting amino acid in corn/soybean-based amount lost in feces; therefore, ME value of individual
swine diets. It can be added to diets in a synthetic form. feeds is rarely measured. However, when ME values are
needed, nutritionists often use conversion formulas. A
Macro-minerals commonly used formula to estimate ME in beef feed-
Macro-minerals, also called major minerals, are the stuffs is: ME = 0.82 × DE.
elements present in the animal body in relatively larger
amounts than micro minerals (thus the name). There- Methionine
fore macro-minerals are required in relatively large An essential sulfur containing amino acid involved
amounts, generally in gram (g) quantities per head in many vital enzymatic processes in the human and
per day, if the animal is to live and function properly. animal body.
Macro-minerals perform specific roles in the body’s
structure and functions; for example, they help to build
body tissues (e.g. bone) or to regulate metabolic activi- Micro-minerals
ties. Macro minerals interact with each other and must Micro-minerals, or trace minerals, are present in the
be supplied in proper quantities and ratios to maintain animal body tissues in extremely low concentrations.
appropriate animal function. The seven macro-minerals They are nutrients required in small amounts, generally
essential to animals are: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), in milligram (mg) or microgram (µg) amounts per head
sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sulphur per day, but play critically important roles in animal
(S) and chlorine (Cl). nutrition. There are 10 micro-minerals recognized in
animal nutrition: iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper
The total mineral content of the body is approximately (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), cobalt (Co), iodine (I),
4 percent of body weight. Calcium makes up approxi- chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo) and nickel (Ni).
mately 1.75 percent of total body weight, phosphorus In Georgia, only three of the micro-minerals (copper,
makes up approximately 1.10 percent of total body zinc and selenium) are likely to be deficient in grazing
weight, and magnesium makes up approximately 0.04 animal diets. However, copper is particularly toxic in
percent of total body weight. sheep and selenium can also be toxic. Deficiencies and
toxic levels are quite regional.
Megacalorie (Mcal)
The quantity of energy available in a feed or the amount Milligram per Kilogram (mg/kg)
of energy required for an animal to perform a specific Milligram per kilogram is a common unit of concentra-
function is most often expressed as a unit of heat, the tion representing how many mg of the target substance
smallest unit of which is called a “calorie.” Because (i.e., the substance analyzed in the laboratory) are
a calorie is too small to express the energy for practi- present in one kg of the sample. Since one mg is one-
cal purposes, the energy content of feed is most often millionth of a kg (or 1 kg is 1 million mg), mg/kg is
expressed in a larger unit called “megacalorie.” One equivalent to parts per million (ppm). For example, a 20
megacalorie is one million times larger than one calorie. mg/kg calcium concentration in a feed sample is equal
• 1,000 Calorie (cal) = 1 Kilocalorie (Kcal) to 20 ppm calcium.
• 1,000 Kcal = 1 Megacalorie (Mcal)
• Therefore, 1 Mcal = 106 cal Minerals
In feed analysis, minerals refer to inorganic feed ele-
Metabolizable Energy (ME) ments essential for life.
Metabolizable energy equals the gross feed energy
minus the energy lost in the feces, urine and gaseous Monogastric
product of digestion: Animals having a single compartment or simple stom-
• ME = GE – FE (energy in feces) – (energy in urine) ach system (e.g., swine, horse). Contrast with rumen
– (energy in gases) and ruminants.
• ME = DE (digestible energy) – (energy in urine) –
(energy in gases)
• Because, DE = GE – FE
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
Mycotoxins It should be kept in mind that most published NE values
Mycotoxins are toxic to animals, and are produced for feeds are not measured values; rather, they are esti-
on plants by fungi, particularly during weather stress mated (or converted) from the DE system, so they are
during the growing or harvest seasons or during feed subject to the same set of limitations as an estimation
storage (e.g., vomitoxin, zearalenone, aflatoxin and T-2, of digestibility in the DE system. Nevertheless, the NE
etc). system is quite useful for ration formulation and evalu-
ation.
National Research Council (NRC)
The NRC is a scientific body in the U.S. under the Net Energy for Gain or Growth (NEg): NEg is an esti-
National Academy of Sciences that regularly publishes mate of the energy in a feed used for body weight gain
sets of tables of each nutrient required by an animal for once maintenance is achieved.
body maintenance, growth, production and rebreeding
performance based on the latest available research. Net Energy for Lactation (NEl): NEl is an estimate of
the energy in a feed used for maintenance plus milk
Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) production during lactation.
or Near Infrared Analysis (NIRA)
The NIRS method of analysis is a computerized instru- Net Energy for Maintenance (NEm): NEm is an estimate
mental method for rapidly and reproducibly measur- of the energy in a feed used to keep an animal in energy
ing the chemical composition of samples with little or equilibrium, neither gaining weight nor losing weight.
no sample preparation other than drying and grinding.
As opposed to conventional “wet chemistry” methods, Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF)
NIRS measures the reflections of near infrared light NDF is the residue or insoluble fraction left after boil-
instead of chemicals to determine protein, fiber, energy ing a feed sample in neutral detergent solution. The
and other variables of interest. It is based on the fact NDF contains plant cell wall components except for
that each of the major chemical components of a sam- some pectins. The NDF is considered a close estimate
ple has characteristic near infrared light absorption (and of the total fiber constituents of feedstuffs since it mea-
hence reflectance) patterns, which are used to differ- sures cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, silica, tannins and
entiate one component from the others. NIRS has been cutins. The hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin represent
proved as a rapid and low-cost method for analyzing the fibrous bulk of the forage. Because they give the
forage and grain crops for their nutritive value. Gener- plant rigidity and enable it to support itself as it grows,
ally speaking, relative to conventional “wet chemistry” these three components are classified as structural car-
procedures, this method is much faster in determining bohydrates. Though lignin is indigestible, hemicellulose
forage nutritional content and is less expensive. It is and cellulose can be (in varying degrees) digested by
very precise but the accuracy of NIRS is dependent on microorganisms in animals with either a rumen (e.g.,
appropriate calibration with the results of “wet chemis- cattle, goats or sheep) or hind-gut fermentation (e.g.,
try.” horses, rabbits, guinea pigs) as part of their digestive
tract.
Net Energy (NE)
Net energy refers to the amount of feed energy actually NDF concentration is negatively correlated with dry
available for animal maintenance, growth and produc- matter intake (i.e., as NDF in the forage increases,
tion. Conceptually, total NE is the portion of metaboliz- animals will consume less forage). As a result, NDF is
able energy (ME) remaining after the energy expended often used in formulas to predict the dry matter intake.
in body heat (or “heat increment of feeding”) is deduct-
ed, (i.e., NE = ME - heat increment of feeding). Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (NDFD)
NDFD is the 48-hour in vitro digestible fraction of NDF
NE is further partitioned into the net energy neces- expressed as percentage of the Neutral Detergent Fiber
sary for maintenance (no gain or loss of body weight), (NDF) content of a feed sample.
growth (or gain in body weight) and lactation (produc-
tion of milk). The NE requirements for maintenance, Neutral Detergent Solubles (NDS)
growth and lactation are denoted by NEm, NEg, and NEl, The NDS represents all forms of ingredients in a feed
respectively. sample that are soluble in neutral detergent solution.
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 13
That means it represents everything that is not NDF. • NFC% = 100% – [CP% + (NDF% –NDFICP%) +
Usually 98 percent of the NDS is assumed to be digest- EE% + Ash%]
ible. where EE% is the ether extract% or Fat%.

Nitrate — NO3 Non-protein Nitrogen (NPN)

Nitrate concentrations in forages and other feeds are NPN refers to nitrogen in a feed sample that is not in
generally low. When the rate of nitrate uptake (e.g., the form of protein but can be used by the microbial
uptake per day) by the plant from the soil exceeds its population in the rumen or gastro-intestinal tract to
rate of conversion to protein, nitrates will accumu- synthesize amino acids and proteins. Common forms of
late in plants. Nitrates can accumulate in the forage NPN are urea and ammonia.
crop due to excessive nitrogen fertilization and exces-
sive moisture stress or other factors that limit growth. Non-structural Carbohydrate (NSC)
Excessive concentrations of nitrate in the animal’s diet NSCs are simple carbohydrates, such as starches and
can induce nitrate toxicosis in the animal (e.g., reduced sugars, stored inside the cell that can be rapidly and eas-
weight gain, failure to rebreed, weakness, staggering ily digested by the animal. Hence, NSC is considered to
and, in severe cases, death). A qualitative check called serve as a readily available energy source.
the “diphenylamine test” can be used to screen forages
for potential harm from nitrate. These types of test kits Nutrient
are available in most county Extension offices. The Nutrients are elements, compounds or groups of com-
concentration of nitrate that is considered toxic varies pounds that are required and/or used for animal nour-
considerably from one class of animal to another. More ishment and performance. Common groups of animal
specific guidelines on preventing or mitigating nitrate nutrients are: carbohydrates (or energy), proteins, fats,
toxicity in forages can be found in UGA Extension Cir- minerals, vitamins and water. It is an interesting side
cular 915, “Nitrate Toxicity” available online ( http:// note that the fiber fractions do not directly qualify as
pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/PDF/C915.pdf). measure of nutrients because they fail the direct test
of nutritive entities. However, they are correlated with
The amounts of nitrate in the animal’s water supply digestibility and energy so they do have indirect nutri-
should also be considered. The University of Georgia tive value.
recommends testing the nitrate content in the forage and
water provided to your livestock if elevated levels of Nutrient Requirements
nitrate are suspected. Nutrient requirement refers to the minimum amounts of
nutrients (energy, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins)
Nitrogen-free Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDFn) necessary to meet an animal’s real needs for mainte-
Nitrogen-free NDF (NDFn) is estimated as: nance, growth, reproduction, lactation or work (but
• NDFn = NDF – NDFICP (Neutral Detergent Fiber does not include a safety margin in ration formulation).
Insoluble Crude Protein)
• Also estimated as NDFn = NDF × 0.93. Nutritive Value (NV)
Nutritive value refers to a feed’s protein, mineral and
Non-fibrous Carbohydrate (NFC) or Neutral energy composition, availability of energy, and efficien-
Detergent Soluble Carbohydrates (NDSC) cy of energy utilization.
NFC or NDSC represents all forms of digestible carbo-
hydrates that are solubilized after boiling a feed sample Palatability
in neutral detergent solution. These are all forms of Palatability refers to the appeal and acceptability of
non-cell-wall carbohydrates and include starch, sugar, feedstuffs to an animal. Palatability is affected by the
pectin and fermentation acids, which are digestible and feed’s odor, texture, moisture, physical form and tem-
serve as energy sources for the animal. Because NFC perature. For a forage to be considered “high-quality,”
includes some other digestible compounds in addition it generally must be highly palatable because quality in-
to starch and sugars included in NSC, NFC generally cludes intake and palatability is required for high levels
shows a higher value than non-structural carbohydrate of intake (see Dry Matter Intake).
(NSC) on the feed analysis report. NFC is calculated
from the following equation:
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
Palatability is a plant trait that can be measured when pH
the animal has the opportunity to selectively feed. How- pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. Values range
ever, when not given the opportunity to selectively feed from 0 (most acidic) to 14 (most alkaline or basic). A
the animal may perform just as well on the less palat- pH value of 7.0 is neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline).
able forage. The values give the negative log of the hydrogen ion
concentration.
Particle Size
Particle size refers to the diameter of granular feed Pectin
materials (e.g., grains, pellets, mineral particles) and/or Pectin is an intercellular (occurs in between cells) poly-
the length and sometimes width of roughage or forage saccharide (carbohydrate) that functions as a cellular
fragments. Particle size can affect mixing of feed ingre- glue. Like the nonstructural carbohydrates, it is easily
dients and digestion rate. degraded in the rumen. Unlike the NSCs, though, it
does not lower rumen pH (i.e., acidic condition in the
Parts Per Million (ppm) rumen).
Parts per million is a unit of measurement used to state
the concentration of specific nutrients, compounds or Protein
elements present in small quantities in a feedstuff (e.g., Protein is an essential nutrient. Proteins are composed
1 ppm = milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), 1 pound per of long chains of various kinds of amino acids. Animals
million pounds, 1 milligram per liter (mg/L), or 1 mi- meet their protein needs by breaking down plant and
croliter per liter (µL/L). Some more practical equiva- microbial protein (formed in the rumen) and reassem-
lents of 1 ppm are: bling them as animal proteins.
• 1 inch in 16 miles
• 1 second in 11 days and 16 hours Proximate Analysis
• 1 cent in $10,000 Proximate analysis is a chemical method of quantitative
• 1 pinch of salt in 10 kg of potato chips analysis that separates, identifies and quantifies the ma-
• 1 bad apple in 2,000 barrels jor categories of compounds in a mixture. In feed and
food analysis, it serves as a tool for assessing and

Feed

Moisture Dry Matter

Ash (Inorganics) Organic Matter

Protein Non-nitrogenous Residue

Fat Carbohydrates

Nitrogen-Free
Crude Fiber
Extract (NFE)
Figure 2. A schematic that describes various components of feedstuffs usually partitioned in proximate analysis.
expressing the broad nutritional value of a feed sample. The proximate system for routine analysis of animal feed-
stuffs was devised in the mid-nineteenth century at the Weende Experiment Station in Germany (Henneberg and
Stohmann, 1860, 1864) and is referred to as the Weende System of proximate analysis (or simply, the Weende
analysis).
UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 15
It is important to remember that proximate analysis is The RFV is calculated based on the two laboratory-
not a nutrient analysis. Rather, it is a partitioning of determined parameters: NDF and ADF. NDF is used
both nutrients and non-nutrients into categories based as an indicator of forage intake and ADF is used as an
on common chemical properties. The technique was indicator of digestibility. Thus, together, ADF and NDF
developed to provide a top level, very broad classifica- estimate intake potential and digestibility, and they are
tion of food components. The system consists of the used to calculate RFV as:
consecutive steps of analytical separations and determi- • RFV = DDM (% of DM) × DMI (% of BW) ÷ 1.29
nations of six categories of components and expressing • Where, DDM (digestible dry matter) and DMI (dry
the percentage of each that is present in a feed sample matter intake) can be calculated from ADF and
(Figure 2): NDF as:
• Water/moisture (or dry matter) • DDM (% of DM) = 88.9 – 0.78 × ADF (% of
• Ash (minerals) DM)
• Total or crude protein (total nitrogen×6.25) • DMI (% of BW) = 120 ÷ NDF (% of DM)
• Total or crude fat (or ether extract)
• Crude fiber (incompletely digested carbohydrates) Due to the inherent variability of measuring ADF and
• Nitrogen-free extract (readily digestible carbohy- NDF, absolute RFV numbers are not recommended
drate) for making direct comparisons or pricing of forages.
Rather, a range of RFV values (±5 points of the target)
This system was developed at a time when the chemis- is a more reasonable way to classify a forage (e.g., if
try of most feed and food constituents was only par- an RFV of 140 is desired, any forage with an RFV of
tially understood, and the growth of nutritional sciences 135 to 145 should be considered to have an equivalent
was at its earliest stages. Some of the methods used value).
historically in the proximate system of analysis are
no longer recommended for feed analysis (e.g., crude One of the limitations of the RFV system is that it as-
fiber). Nevertheless, the concepts formed the basis of sumes constant relationships between NDF and intake,
modern feed analyses. Further, proximate analysis, and between ADF and digestibility. However, two for-
including the original methodology, is still commonly ages can have identical NDF levels but very different
used for food and feed regulations in many countries. digestibilities and, therefore, intakes. This often results
in the RFV of high-quality forages being underestimat-
Ration ed because their intake is underestimated.
Ration refers to the 24-hour feed allowance for an indi-
vidual animal. Relative Forage Quality (RFQ)
RFQ is a forage quality term that is similar to RFV in
Relative Feed Value (RFV) that it is used to rank forages according to their relative
Relative feed value is a forage quality term that is used nutritive value. RFQ shares many of the properties of
to rank feeds, especially forages, according to their RFV (e.g., its basis of comparison is 100, the typical
overall nutritive value. This ranking is made relative to nutritive value of full bloom alfalfa hay; it has no units;
the typical nutritive value of full bloom alfalfa hay. Full it compares the potential of two or more like forages on
bloom alfalfa hay, containing 41 percent ADF and 53 the basis of energy intake; it serves as a useful index of
percent NDF on a dry matter basis, has an RFV of 100 forage quality for comparing forage lots; and it is very
and is considered to provide the average score. Though useful for practical pricing and marketing of forage
RFV has no units, it compares the potential of two or lots). Unlike RFV, however, RFQ takes into account di-
more like forages on the basis of energy intake. Thus, gestible fiber (Moore and Undersander, 2002a, 2002b).
it serves as an index of forage quality for comparing
forage lots. For example, forages with RFV greater than RFQ is based on intake and true TDN instead of DDM.
100 are of higher quality than full bloom alfalfa hay, This makes RFQ a better predictor of forage qual-
and forages with a value lower than 100 are of lower ity than RFV. This is because RFQ accounts for NDF
value than full bloom alfalfa. Such a single suitable digestibility (NDFD) and the contribution of other
parameter is useful for practical forage pricing and nutrient fractions when calculating TDN, rather than
marketing.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
calculating DDM based merely on ADF. RFQ is calcu- Ruminants
lated as: Ruminants are a class of animals that have multiple
• RFQ = DMI (% of BW) × (TDN (% of DM) ÷ 1.23 organs working together to accomplish digestion.
The digestive tract consists of the reticulum (involved
The above equation for RFQ includes the adjustment in rumination and in passage from the rumen to the
factor 1.23, which allows the RFQ to retain the value omasum), rumen (large compartment used for fermenta-
of 100 for full bloom alfalfa (similar to RFV), which tion), omasum (once called the manyplies, it removes
serves as the base value. excess liquid and nutrients moving out of the reticulo-
omasal orifice), and abomasum (acid-pepsin digestion
The equations used to calculate DMI and TDN for similar to a monogastric). By comparison, monogastric
legumes and legume/grass mixtures are specific to those animals (e.g., swine and humans) have a simple or
forages and are different from those used to calculate single-chambered stomach that utilizes an acid-pepsin
DMI and TDN for warm and cool season grasses. digestion to extract nutrition from the ingested food.
Proper identification of forage type will therefore be es-
sential before RFQ calculation. The two recommended Rumen Degradable Protein (RDP)
equations for DMI and TDN calculations depend on RDP is also known as Degradable Intake Protein (DIP).
whether or not the primary forage is legume or grass See DIP for more detail.
and are explained in the definition of “Dry Matter
Intake” and “Total Digestible Nutrients” in this pub- Rumen Undegradable Protein (RUP)
lication. For more information on RFQ, visit the RFQ RUP is another name of by-pass protein, escape protein
information page (www.caes.uga.edu/commodities/ or undegradable intake protein (UIP). See By-pass Pro-
fieldcrops/forages/questions/rfq.html) on the UGA For- tein for more detail.
ages Web site (www.georgiaforages.com).
Saccharides
Roughage Saccharides is another name for simple sugars or po-
Roughage refers to bulky and coarse feed high in fiber lymerized sugar. See Carbohydrate for more detail.
(greater than 18 percent crude fiber) but lower in energy
than most concentrates. For example, forage, hay, silage Silage
and haylage are sometimes called roughage. Silage refers to the feed preserved by an anaerobic
fermentation process (e.g., corn silage, haylage, high
Rumen moisture corn) in which lactic acid and volatile fatty
The rumen is the foregut (or forestomach) of ruminant acids (produced by fermentation) lower the pH of the
animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. The rumen is silage. The low pH preserves the silage. See Ensiled.
a large, hollow muscular organ that is the site of most
of the fiber digestion that occurs in ruminant animals. Silage Additives
This digestion is largely performed by microorganisms Silage additives refer to the substances added during
(bacteria, protozoa and fungi) that inhabit the rumen. the ensiling process to enhance production of lactic acid
and/or a rapid decrease in pH of the feed.
Ruminal Microbes
Ruminal microbes include the whole community of mi- Soluble Intake Protein (SIP)
croorganisms present in the rumen of ruminant animals. SIP includes the non-protein nitrogen and that portion
They accomplish the digestion or fermentation of feed. of true proteins that are readily degraded to ammonia
An estimated 150 billion microorganisms per teaspoon in the rumen. They are used to synthesize microbial
are present in the contents of the rumen. This microbial protein in the rumen.
community consists of bacteria, protozoa and fungi.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 17
Starch Where:
Starch is an intracellular (occurs within the cells) carbo- • NDFn = nitrogen free NDF = NDF – NDFICP, also
hydrate found primarily in the grain or seed and/or root estimated as NDFn = NDF × 0.93
portions of plants. Starch is a readily available source of • NDFICP = neutral detergent fiber insoluble crude
energy. protein
• NDFD = 48-hour in vitro NDF digestibility (% of
Structural Carbohydrates NDF)
Structural carbohydrates are the complex carbohydrates • NFC = non fibrous carbohydrate (% of DM) = 100
that form the plant cell wall and include cellulose, – (NDFn + CP + EE + ash)
hemicellulose, lignin and pectin. They are typically • EE = ether extract (% of DM)
measured in the laboratory as neutral detergent fiber
(NDF). The TDN for warm and cool season grasses is calcu-
lated as:
Supplement • TDNgrass = (NFC × 0.98) + (CP × 0.87) + (FA ×
A supplement feed or feed mixture is used to improve 0.97 × 2.25) + [NDFn × (NDFDp ÷ 100)] – 10
the nutritional value of the ration complementing the
nutrients in the base feed. A supplement is rich in one Where:
or more of protein, energy, vitamins or minerals, and, • All other terms are as defined previously and ND-
in combination with the base feeds, produces a more FDp = 22.7 + 0.664 × NDFD
complete feed.
Though TDN is a widely used measure of energy, it is
Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) not without its weaknesses. The most significant is-
TDN is a measure of the energy value in a feedstuff. sue with TDN is that it does not account for additional
The term TDN has its origins in an older system of energy losses, particularly heat increment and, to some
measuring available energy in feeds and is very hard extent, gaseous losses, especially regarding ruminant
to measure directly. Today, reported TDN values are systems. Consequently, TDN is known to over-estimate
calculated, not measured values. Formulas for calculat- the energy value of roughages compared to grains.
ing TDN originally were based on ADF and frequently
varied by region and the nutritionist doing the calcula- Total Mixed Ration (TMR)
tion. The National Research Council (NRC) suggested A total mixed ration is a homogenous mixture of me-
a more accurate and robust procedure of estimating chanically mixed ration ingredients that typically
TDN than those based solely on ADF (NRC, 2001). combine roughages (forages) and concentrates such as
Their procedure is based on the assumption that forage grains to optimize animal performance. TMRs are com-
classes (legumes, cool season grasses, warm season monly used in large dairy or beef feedlot operations.
grasses, etc.) have more uniform and predictable diges-
tion coefficients. So, they proposed that the TDN for Toxicity
alfalfa, clovers and legume/grass mixtures be calculated Toxicity refers to the extent to which a substance can
as follows: exert a poisonous effect on animals.
• TDNlegume = (CP × 0.93) + (FA × 0.97× 2.25) +
[NDFn × (NDFD ÷ 100)] + (NFC × 0.98) – 7 Undegradable Intake Protein (UIP)
UIP is sometimes used as another name for by-pass
protein, escape protein or Rumen Undegradable Protein
(RUP). The use of UIP is sometimes a misnomer since
it generally refers to material that is not degraded in
the rumen but is degraded in the abomasum and thus is
not truly “undegradable.” See By-pass Protein for more
detail.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
Vitamins “Wet Chemistry” Analysis
Vitamins are organic compounds that typically function Wet chemistry is a term that collectively refers to a
as parts of enzyme systems essential for many meta- number of scientific techniques involving direct analy-
bolic functions. ses with solvents, acidic or basic solutions, other chemi-
cals and other traditional laboratory methods used to
Water-soluble Carbohydrates (WSC) analyze feed samples (e.g., various drying and burning
WSCs are the carbohydrates that can be solubilized procedures). The procedures are based on sound chemi-
and extracted in water. WSCs include monosaccharies, cal and biochemical principles, but require the sample
disaccharides and some short chain polysaccharides, to be destroyed and take considerably more time to
mainly fructans, which are a major storage carbohy- complete than the newer methods, such as Near Infrared
drate in some cool season grasses (e.g., timothy). Spectroscopy (NIRS). Still, wet chemistry is the basis
for all modern, instrument-based, analytical methods
and for calibration of NIRS methods. Wet chemistry
methods are the most accurate methods for determining
nutrient values of feeds/forages and are frequently used
for quality assurance purposes or in the development of
new techniques/calculations.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 19
References
CAST (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology). 1989. Mycotoxins: Economic and health risks. Task
Force Report No. 116. Ames, Iowa.

CAST (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology). 2003. Mycotoxins: Risks in plant, animal and human
systems”. Task Force Report No. 139. Ames, Iowa.

Henneberg, W. and F. Stohmann. 1860. Beiträge zur Begründung einer rationellen Fütterung der Wiederkäuer, Vol.
I. Schwetsehtke u. Sohn, Braunschweig, p. 4.

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UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition
 extension.uga.edu
Bulletin 1367 Reviewed March 2017
Published by the University of Georgia in cooperation with Fort Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and counties of the state. For more information, contact your local UGA Cooperative Extension office.
The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

UGA Cooperative Extension Bulletin 1367 • Common Terms Used in Animal Feeding and Nutrition 21