A SYSTEM FOR PREDICTION OF RETENTION OF PROTEIN AND FAT IN GROWING ANIMALS

A curvilinear function is proposed for the description of the relationship between metabolizable energy (ME) intake and retention of energy as protein, which permits the calculation of the maximum potential energy retention in protein (A) and the efficiency of ME-utilization for protein deposition (k w ) at different feeding levels. The effect of feed composition and animal characteristics on A and k w is described in separate functions with A and k w as dependent variables and body weight, protein:energy ratio and amino-acid pattern as independent variables.