Digestible energy content of meat meals and meat and bone meals for growing pigs

Abstract

ABSTRACT1. The digestible energy content of 14 meat meals and meat and bone meals produced from different regions in eastern Australia was determined using growing pigs. The relationship between digestible energy content and chemical constituents in the meals was investigated.2. Digestible energy ranged from 9·4 to 13·9MJ/kg (air-dry basis). This variation in digestible energy was best described by the regression equation:3. Simpler equations, with only gross energy or crude protein and ether extract were:4. Digestibility of the energy and crude protein in the meals ranged from 0·63 to 0·77 and 0·73 to 0·91 respectively. These variations were not related to any of the major chemical constituents of the meals.