Digestible Energy

Digestible Energy (DE) is the amount of energy from food that an animal can absorb and use after digestion. It accounts for the energy lost in waste, such as feces. Essentially, DE measures how much usable energy remains in the food once the digestive process is complete. It helps determine how nutritious and efficient a feed is for animals, guiding decisions on proper feeding to meet their energy needs for maintenance, growth, work, or reproduction. By understanding DE, farmers and nutritionists can optimize diets for better health and productivity.