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48 THE RURAL VOICE
SPECIAL
MEASURING ENERGY
FINE-TUNES FEEDS
Energy is usually the first limiting
nutrient in rations of high -producing
dairy cows. Energy is required in rela-
tively large amounts and is needed for
body maintenance, milk production,
reproduction, and growth.
But when a dairy ration is balanced,
some common concerns are: "Is this
feed good enough for maximum milk
production?" "How much of it do I need
to feed?" and "How do I compare one
feed to another?" Using energy meas-
urement systems such as Total Digest-
ible Nutrients (TDN) or Net Energy
systems (NE), questions like this can be
answered.
To understand the differences be-
tween TDN and NE, it helps to know
what energy is, how it is measured, and
what units of measurement are used.
What is energy? Energy is the fuel
that helps the body grow and maintain
itself as well as to produce milk and a
calf. Energy is not a simple nutrient like
protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, or
minerals are, and it cannot be measured
directly in a lab like protein, fibre, or
minerals.
How is energy measured? Since
energy is an elusive nutrient and is part
of many other nutrients, direct labora-
tory measurement is very difficult. To
get around this problem, scientists have
developed equations that estimate TDN
and NE from the fibre fraction of feed.
Fibre can be measured directly in the
laboratory as Acid Detergent Fibre
(ADF). But there is a catch: the only
equations that today's research commu-
nity believes are accurate are those that
estimate energy for hay, haylage, and
corn silage. Equations that estimate
energy for other feeds are not consid-
ered accurate. Energy values for such
feeds as barley, barlage, and soybean
meal are derived from actual animal
trials and are commonly referred to as
"book values." Research is continuing
in this area, and soon it will be possible
to analyze all feeds for energy.
What units of measure are used?
The units most commonly used to meas-
ure energy in North America are kilo-
calories (kcal). Calories (cal), mega-
(cont'd)