Prediction of ME Contents in Compound Feeds and Finger Millet Straw by the Summative Equations of Detergent System and Their Potential in Diet Formulation for Dairy Cattle

A study was conducted to assess the potential of summative equations of detergent system (SEDS) to obtain estimates of metabolizable energy (ME) content in compound feed mixture (CFM) and finger millet straw (FMS). The ME (MJ/kg) predicted from SEDS In CFM varied from 8.5 to 12.7 and in FMS from 5.8 to 7.8, Energy values obtained by SEDS to account for the observed performance was assessed in iactating cows by feeding trials. A total of nine feeding trials of 7 to 14 weeks duration were conducted with FMS as the sole roughage. The ME (MJ/Kg) obtained from SEDS and digestion trials for nine diets were 10.3, 8.0; 10.2, 11.0; 9.2, 9.2; 10.7, 10.5; 10.5, 10.1; 8.4, 7.5; 8.0, 8.0; 9.2, 9.9; and 8.9, 8.9, respectively. The mean ME output (Maintenance + 4% FCM yield + gain) for the 9 experiments was 101.5 ± 3.5. The ME intake estimated from ME obtained from SEDS was 116.1±4.0. Thus, the observed performance of Iactating cows expressed in terms of total ME output was accountable to the extent of 87% of ME intake estimates derived by SEDS, indicating the potential of ME values obtained from SEDS in diet formulation for Iactating cows.