About one-fourth of the energy for milk production in high-producing dairy cows comes from digested fiber. But fiber comes in many different packages.
Total tract NDF digestibility (TTNDFD) is a comprehensive measure of fiber digestion that provides a more complete picture of a feedstuff’s ultimate, energy-producing potential than other, more limited fiber assessments.
“Total tract” refers to digestion that occurs both in and outside the rumen. According to University of Wisconsin ruminant nutrition researcher Dave Combs, up to 10% of total fiber digestion can occur beyond the rumen in the hindgut.
By MAUREEN HANSON
April 14, 2022
Comments