Feed quantity (kilograms of dry matter) is the most common way of measuring feed and we often talk about the cost of purchased feeds on a kilograms of dry matter basis.

An equally, if not more important measure is feed "quality"; feed "quality" is the energy value of feed. It is measured by the amount of usable or metabolisable energy (ME) in a given weight of feed. In New Zealand the energy value of feed is referred to as the megajoules of metabolisable energy per kilogram of dry matter (MJME/kg DM) or M/D for short.

The higher the M/D value the better the feed. For example autumn grass, with a M/D value of 11 has a higher energy value per kg dry matter than good meadow hay with a M/D value of 8.

The higher the N content, the higher the potential N in urine and N loss to water and atmosphere.

Pasture

Ryegrass/white clover dominant. North Is. and dryland South Is.

	DM (%)	ME (ME/kgDM)	CP (%DM)	N content (%DM)	NDF (%DM)	SSS (%DM)	Starch (%SSS)	Fat (%)
Pasture, spring	12-18	11.5-12.5	18-35	2.9-6.1	35-45	7-25	2-4	3-6
Pasture, summer	15-20	9.5-10.5	14-22	2.2-3.5	42-52	7-25	4-8	5
Pasture, summer dry	20-30	8.0-9.5	9-14	1.4-2.2	52-65	7-25	7-15	4-8
Pasture, autumn/winter	13-18	11.0-11.5	15-20	2.4-3.2	40-47	7-25	2-4	3-5

Silage

	DM (%)	ME (ME/kgDM)	CP (%DM)	N content (%DM)	NDF (%DM)	SSS (%DM)	Starch (%SSS)	Fat (%)
Pasture, good	23	10.0	17.0	2.7	45	22.0	7.0	3.0
Pasture, poor	38	9.0	15.0	2.4	55	15.0	8.0	3.1
Barley	33	9.8	11.9	1.9	57	19.9	100.0	2.9
Lucerne	30-40	9.5	20.0	3.2	51	16.7	45.0	3.5
Maize	33	10.3	8.0	1.3	49	35.1	100.0	3.1
Pea	33	8.8	13.1	2.1	59	18.3	100.0	3.3
Wheat oat	36	10.5	13.0	2.1	59	16.1	100.0	3.6

Hay

	DM (%)	ME (ME/kgDM)	CP (%DM)	N content (%DM)	NDF (%DM)	SSS (%DM)	Starch (%SSS)	Fat (%)
Pasture, good	85.0	9.7	17	2.7	54.0	17.7	44.0	2.6
Pasture, poor	85.0	7.3	7	1.1	66.0	14.6	45.0	2.6
Barley straw	87.0	6.5	4.3	0.7	80.0	6.7	100.0	1.9
Pea straw	85.0	6.7	6.3	1.0	59.0	-	-	-
Wheat straw	89.0	6.3	3.6	0.6	79.0	7.8	100.0	1.8

Grazed crops*

	DM (%)	ME (ME/kgDM)	CP (%DM)	N content (%DM)	NDF (%DM)	SSS (%DM)	Starch (%SSS)	Fat (%)
Chicory	8-19	12.5-13	20-26	3.2-4.2	30-38	4-9	-	-
Fodder beet	14-20	12.0-12.5	9-14	1.4-2.2	11-16	60-65	5	-
Kale	11-15	11.0-13.5	12-18	1.9-2.9	20-35	35-40	-	2.1
Lucerne	24.0	11.0	30.0	4.8	30	-	-	2.5
Oats	11-20	11.5	13.2	2.1	30	48	90	4.9
Swedes	9-12	11.0-13.0	12-20	1.9-2.9	16-30	45-50	0.1	-
Tritcale	32.0	-	13.8	2.2	59.7	68	67	-
Turnips	9-11	12.0	12-18	1.9-2.9	27	17	10	22.0
Plantain	9-20	11-12	16-18	2.6-2.9	-	11-17	-	-

Concentrate

	DM (%)	ME (ME/kgDM)	CP (%DM)	N content (%DM)	NDF (%DM)	SSS (%DM)	Starch (%SSS)	Fat (%)
Barley	89.0	13.0	11	1.8	21.0	61.4	90.0	2.0
Bran	85.0	9.8	17.1	2.7	51.0	20.6	95.0	4.4
Canola meal	90.0	11.5	38	6.1	30.0	-	1.5	3.5
Lupin	89.0	12.0	34.2	5.5	33.0	22.0	90.0	5.5
Maize grain	89.0	13.6	8	1.3	9.0	75.1	99.0	4.3
Oats	89.0	11.5	13	2.1	31.0	47.5	90.0	4.9
Peas	87.0	13.0	24	3.8	23.0	46.0	-	1.8
Soya bean meal	90.0	12.9	50	8.0	14.0	27.0	90.0	1.4
Soya bean hulls	88.0	12.0	13.5	2.2	60.0	27.0	1.4	-
Tapioca	88.0	12.8	5	0.8	20.0	27.0	71.0	2.0
Wheat	89.0	12.6	11.3	1.8	14.0	70.0	90.0	1.9
Whole cotton seed	88.0	16.0	23	3.7	44.0	3.7	90.0	18.0
Cotton seed meal	89.0	12.0	min 43	min 6.9	20-23	-	1.5	0.05

By products

	DM (%)	ME (ME/kgDM)	CP (%DM)	N content (%DM)	NDF (%DM)	SSS (%DM)	Starch (%SSS)	Fat (%)
Apple pomace	22.0	10.4	5.4	0.9	41.0	44.0	100	4.7
Bread	63.0	14.0	13.0	2.1	18.0	65.0	90	5.7
Brewers grains	24.0	10.0	23.0	3.7	49.0	11.2	100	7.3
Cabbage	8.0	13.2	19	3.0	29.0	60.4	-	3.4
Carrots	12.0	13.2	9.9	1.6	9.0	59.4	-	1.4
Condensed distillers syrup	42-45	15-17	15-17	2.4-2.7	1.0	-	-	4-8
Dried distillers grains	90.0	12-13	25-33	4.0-5.3	30.0	7.0	55	3.5
Fishmeal	92.0	11.7	66.7	10.7	1.5	2.0	90	10.5
Kiwifruit ripe	14.0	12.0-12.5	12-17	1.9-2.7	20.0	50.0	2-4	3
Kiwifruit (hard)	20.0	12.0-12.5	6-10	1.0-1.6	25.0	30.0	2	3
Molasses	75.0	12	4	0.6	0.0	82.8	0	0.1
Onion	10.0	13	11.6	1.9	18.0	65.1	100	1.6
Palm Kernel Extract	90.0	11	14	2.2	70.0	-	5	8
Potatoes	23.0	13	10	1.6	7.6	77.2	100	0.4
Pumpkin	8.4	12.9	16	2.6	5.9	67.4	100	1.2
Tallow	99.0	31.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0	99
Urea	99.0	0	281.0	45.0	0.0	0.0	0	0

Note: The average ME has been rounded to the nearest 0.5 ME. Quality of forages may be outside the range depending on the level of pasture/crop management. ME=metabolisable energy, CP=crude protein, NDF=neutral detergent fibre, SSS=soluble sugars and starch*.*

*Higher values South Island