Evaluation of the fixed nitrogen‐to‐protein (N:P) conversion factor (6.25) versus ingredient specific N:P conversion factors in feedstuffs

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The crude protein (CP) of feedstuffs is important as an indicator of essential and non‐essential amino acids for livestock. The protein (P) level needs to be known accurately, to minimize the feeding of excess nitrogen (N) and to reduce N pollution. Laboratory methods for determining N content report N from amino acids, but also N from ammonia and from non‐amino acid sources. The determined CP based on 6.25 × N level typically overestimates the true protein of feedstuffs. RESULTS: Determined ingredient‐specific N:P conversion factors k_A, k_P and k were not equal to the standard 6.25 factor. The k_A had the highest value in all ingredients, which leads to the estimation of specific crude protein (SCP), which is closer to true protein (the summation of the total amino acid residues from amino acid analyses). The SCP(k_A) was lower than CP and true protein in all ingredients, demonstrating that CP might overestimate the actual protein in feedstuffs. CONCLUSION: Based on data from 677 feedstuff samples from 2009, it is concluded that the mean k_A should be 5.68 for corn, 5.64 for soybean meal, 5.74 for corn DDGS, 5.45 for poultry by‐product meal and 5.37 for meat and bone meal. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry