Ruminant Nutrition 414  Fi: 683318994.

doc

CALCULATING THE ENERGY VALUE OF FEEDS FOR DAIRY CATTLE ACCORDING TO

NRC 2001— PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

This document is to help you understand the overall approached used by NRC to calculate energy
content of feeds used in dairy rations. Figure 1 provides an overview of the concepts built in the
summative equation used to calculate the amount of total digestible nutrients (TDN, % of DM) in a feed
and the digestible energy (DE, Mcal/lb) “produced” in the digestive tract of the cow.

Figure 1: Overall approach starting on the left with feed composition analyses, which once in the
animal’s digestive system undergo digestion or fermentation that release metabolites (AA, VFA,
glucose, etc), which in turn are absorbed and may be used as a source of energy anywhere in the body of
the animal.

1 of 6
 Ruminant Nutrition 414  Fi: 683318994.doc

In the remaining document, reference to Tables and Figures are for the papers of Bill Weiss. The steps in
calculating the net energy of lactation (NEl) of a feed are as follows:

1. Start with the laboratory chemical analyses results or book values (all expressed as a % of DM);
2. Calculate FA and NFC (% of feed DM);
3. Calculate the CP, NFC, NDF and EE that is truly digested (td) and therefore contribute to the
Summative Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN) of the feed when fed at maintenance (TDN1x);
equations: 4. Calculate TDN1x (% of DM) by summing up the truly digested (td) fraction of CP, NFC, NDF
and EE subtracting 7 from the total;
5. Calculate Digestible Energy at maintenance (DE1x) from TDN1x;
6. Calculate the DE value of the feed when mixed with other feeds in a ration (resulting in a given
TDN1x for the diet) and consumed at a given level above maintenance. This DE is called “DE at
production level p (DEp) or the “discounted DE (DEd);
7. Convert digestible energy (DEp) of the feed at production level “p” to a Metabolizable Energy
value at productive level “p” (MEp or MEd);
8. Convert discounted Metabolizable Energy (MEd) into discounted Net Energy of Lactation (NEl).

1- Start with the following chemical analyses (all expressed as a % of DM):

 CP (Crude protein)
Why do we need all these analyses?
 ADICP or ADIN (the N-bound to ADF These are the analyses required to
which is a measure of loss of digestibility of the calculate the amount of nutrient truly
protein due to heat damage during processing (by- digestible, that it, the nutrient that can
products) or ensiling (forages)); deliver energy when “combusted” by
 NDF (neutral detergent fiber) the cells in the body of the animal.
 NDICP or NDIN (the N-bound to NDF)
Note that some of these analyses can be
 ADL (Lignin) the phenolic compounds that used also:
limits the fermentation of cellulose and  In formulating/balancing rations
hemicellulose).
 In trouble-shooting rations
 Ash (or minerals).  In feed supplementation strategies
2- Calculate FA and NFC (% of feed DM) as follows:
 FA (Fatty acid) which can be predicted as ether extract (EE) – 1 (EE is an older method,
and the literature has a lot more EE values then FA values for feed)
 NFC =100 – CP - (NDF-NDICP) – EE – Ash
3- Calculate the CP, NFC, NDF and EE that is truly digested or fermented and therefore contribute to the
“Total Digestible Nutrient” (TDN) of the feed when fed at maintenance (TDN1x)
Studying the summative equations of Table 1 of What are we doing here?
Weiss’s paper, you’ll notice that: In essence we are trying to use chemical
 There are separate equations to analyses to determine the amount of each feed
calculate the truly digestible protein fractions fraction that “make biological sense.”
in forages and concentrates, but both include
ADIN and CP. At this point, we are focusing on the feed only,
 As ADIN goes up TDN from CP will without worrying about how much of that feed
go down (because of the negative signs in the will be consumed by the animal.
eqs.)
2 of 6
Ruminant Nutrition 414  Fi: 683318994.doc

 NFC is assumed to be 98% “digestible”, that is essentially fermented in the rumen and /or
digested in the stomach and intestine. The truly digestible NFC is also adjusted for a processing
adjustment factor (PAF), which account for the effect of grain processing (e.g., cracked vs. ground
vs. flaked corn) on starch digestibility.
 The greater the lignin (ADL or “L” in the equation) the lower the NDF truly digestible.
 Fatty acids are assumed be 100% “digestible”. Note that one has to multiply FA by 2.25
for the purpose of calculating TDN1x (% of feed DM), but not when calculating DE1x (see eqs.
below).

4- Calculate TDN1x
For most feeds TDN1x is calculated as:
TDN1x (% of feed DM) = tdNFC + tdCP + (tdFA x 2.25) + tdNDF – 7.

Thus to calculate TDN1x:

 Add the contribution of truly digestible (td) CP, td NFC, td NDF, and (td EE x 2.25) all
together.
 Subtract 7 from the total. This number represents the amount of “metabolic TDN” (an
estimate of the amount of TDN found in the feces that does not come from the diet but from the
animal itself.) It is made of the digestive enzymes, sloughed intestinal cells and undigested
microbial matters.
 Note also that feed classified as “Animal Protein feeds” and “Fat supplements” by NRC
use a slightly different equation.

5- Calculate Digestible Energy at maintenance (DE1x)

For most feeds TDN1x is calculated as:
DE1x Mcal/kg) = 4.2 x (tdNFC/100) + 5.6 x (tdCP/100) + 9.4 (tdFA/100) + 4.2 x (tdNDF/100) – 0.3.

You convert the TDN1x to DE1x from each contributing entity by multiplying the CHO, CP and Fat by
their respective heat of combustions (See Figure 1 above):
 Carbohydrates contain 4.2 Mcal/kg (whether it was from NDF or NFC).
 FAs contain 9.4 Mcal/kg
 Proteins contain 5.6 Mcal/kg. Note however that when AA are used as energy source the
resulting NH3 moiety must be “detoxified” and converted into urea. The urea synthesis (mainly in
the liver) is a metabolic process that demands 7 kcal/g. The energy to detoxify ammonia is not
included in the feed evaluation system because it occurs only when “excess nitrogen is fed to the
cow.
 The “metabolic DE” that needs to be subtracted from the total to obtain DE1x is 0.3 (this
values comes from the assumption that metabolic TDN contains 4.4 Mcal/kg (and 7/100 x 4.4 =
0.3).

3 of 6
Ruminant Nutrition 414  Fi: 683318994.doc

Example of how to convert Feed Analysis values into TDN1x and DE1x

Corn Silage
CP, % DM = 8.80
NDICP, % DM = 1.30
ADICP, % DM = 0.80
NDF, % DM = 45.00
FAT (EE), % DM = 3.20
Ash, % DM = 4.30
ADL = 2.60
PAF = 0.94
NDF – NDICP = 45.00 – 1.3 =
43.70

Summative equation to calculate TDN 1x (% of the DM) and DE1x (Mcal/kg DM)
Feed Equations TDN1x X Energy = DE1x
Fraction % DM conversion (Mcal)
CP * e(-0.012 * (100*ADICP/CP)
Forage 8.80 * e(-0.012 * (100*0.8/8.80))
CP 8.80 * 0.897 = --------------> 7.89 0.056 0.442
NFC 0.98 * NFC * PAF
0.98 * [100 – 43.7 - 8.80 - 3.2 - 4.30] * 0.94
0.98 * 40.00 * 0.94 = --------------> 36.85 0.042 1.548
FA EE – 1
3.2 – 1 = --------------> 2.2 0.094 0.207
NDF 0.75 * ( NDF-L) * [1-(L/NDF) 0.67
]
0.75 * (43.70 - 2.60) * [1 - (2.60/43.70)0.67]
0.75 * 41.10 * [1-0.151]
0.75 * 41.10 * 0.849 = --------------> 26.17 0.042 1.099
OR
NDF x NDFD OR OR
43.7 * 0.58 = --------------> 25.34 1.065
Metab. (minus 7) -7 0.044 -0.3
TOTAL 7.89 + 36.85 + (2.2 * 2.25) + 26.17 -7 = 68.9 2.99
or or
7.89 + 36.85 + (2.2 * 2.25) + 25.34 -7 = 68.03 2.96

4 of 6
Ruminant Nutrition 414  Fi: 683318994.doc

6- Calculate the DE value of the feed when mixed with other feeds in a ration and consumed at a level
above maintenance This DE is called “DE at production level or DEp or the “discounted DE (DEd)
To do this, go back to Figure 2 fo the paper of Weiss, or better the excel spreadsheet handout on the
“discount factor” (in which I re-created Figure 2). The discount factor is an estimate of the TDN1x that
will not be digested but excreted and lost in feces when the diet is consumed by “productive animal” as
opposed to “an animal at maintenance”. The two factors you need to know to calculate the discount
factor are:
 TDN1x of the diet at maintenance, which is calculated as the sum of the products of the
amount of each feed in the ration (DM basis) by their respective TDN1x content.
 The level intake as a multiple of maintenance, where maintenance = 1x, double
maintenance = 2X, triple maintenance = 3X and so forth.
 Remember that the loss in digestibility will go up as dry matter intake will go up (because
of higher rate of passage) and also as the TDN1x of the ration goes up.

DEp (NRC notation) = DEd (Weiss’s paper notation) = DE1x x Discount factor where the discount
factor is calculated as {TDN1x – [ ((0.18 x TDN1x – 10.3) x I)] / TDN 1x } (eq. 1 of Table 2 of Weiss),
where TDN1x is as calculated illustrated above (except that the energy provided by dietary fat above 3%
is excluded from TDN1x calculation) and I is intake level expressed as an increment above maintenance
(e.g. for a cow eating 3X above maintenance, I = 2).

7-Convert digestible energy (DEp) of the feed to a Metabolizable Energy value at productive level (MEp or
MEd): MEd (Mcal/kg) = (1.01 x DEd – 0.45) + (0.0046 x (EE-3)) (eq. 2 of Table 2 of Weiss’s paper)
This equation is describe a straight line relationship. Looking
attentively at this equation, you’ll see two parts: How does NRC convert DEp
to ME and NEl for a feed?
 Part I. The part that says: 1.01 x DEd – 0.45
These two conversions are
indicates that ME is a direct linear relation with DE (intercept
made with linear equations.
= -0.45 and a slope of 1.01), that is in general the ME values
However, the “twist” here is
are on average about 0.45 units lower than the DE values.
that if a feed contains more that
 Part II. The part that says: [0.0046 x (EE-3)] means 3% EE, more ME and NE will
that for feed with more than 3% fat (EE), their ME values be available than expected from
will be greater than if predicted with part I of the equation the linear equation alone. The
only. This is because for fat, ME = DE (there is not loss in “second” part to these equations
the form of ruminal gas fermentation with fat)!!! account for the fact that for fat
DE = ME.
8- Convert discounted Metabolizable Energy (MEd) into discounted
Net Energy of Lactation (NEl) (NEl Mcal/kg) = 0.703 x ME – 0.19 +
(((0.097 x ME + 0.19)/97) x (EE-3))
To do that, use the third equation in Table 2. Again, recognize that there are two parts to this
equation.
 Part I. The part that says 0.703 x ME – 0.19 indicates that NEL is a linear function of
ME (however the slope is different than 1.0 here, so the difference between ME and NE is not a
constant value
 Part II. The long and complicated part account also for the fact that for fat, the conversion
of ME to NEl is more efficient than for all other chemical fraction and therefore as fat in the feed
is above 3% of DM, than NEl is greater than expected (remember than about half the fat in the
milk come directly from the diet and thus does not require any “metabolic work of synthesis”.)
5 of 6
Ruminant Nutrition 414  Fi: 683318994.doc

6 of 6