NUTRITION MODELS

Through collaborations with many educational and industry partners, we have developed several models that can be used to integrate our knowledge of feed, intake, and digestion and passage rates upon feed energy values, escape of dietary protein, and microbial growth efficiency. Mathematical nutrition models can be valuable tools for estimating animal requirements and nutrients derived from feeds in each unique farm production scenario, and thus can have an important role in providing information that can be used in the decision-making process to enhance the feeding system (Tedeschi et al., 2005b). By accounting for farm-specific animal, feed, and environmental characteristics, more accurate prediction of dietary nutrient requirements for maintenance, growth and milk production of cattle and nutrient excretion in diverse production situations is possible (Fox et al., 2004).