The evolution of INRA feeding systems for ruminants based on absorbed nutrients and animal responses
Résumé
The current feed evaluation systems for ruminants still have some limits regarding emerging challenges in ruminant nutrition, particularly for prediction of feed conversion efficiency, product quality, animal health, and emissions to the environment. Further, they do not appropriately cover the case of either low quality or very intensive diets. A working group of INRA’s researchers has been constituted for 3 years (the ‘Systali’ project) to address these issues. Continuously accumulated new published data on digestive, metabolic and productive responses of ruminant to diets have thus been integrated within a ‘new generation’ of feed unit systems. This is based on flows of nutrients and multiple animal responses to these flows, and allows the updated system to be used on enlarged fields of application.