Composition is not nutrition
Two ingredients with the same proximate analysis can perform very differently. Processing intensity, anti-nutritional factors, fibre matrix and particle size all move digestibility while leaving the proximate profile unchanged.
Practical proxies for buyers
Full digestibility trials are impractical per shipment. Buyers use proxies: protein dispersibility index and urease for soy products, pepsin digestibility for animal proteins, reactive lysine for heat-processed proteins, and starch gelatinisation for extruded materials.
What to verify
- —Which species and life stage the digestibility coefficient refers to
- —The proxy test result relevant to the process route
- —Whether the value is measured, predicted or copied from a published table
Typical risks
- —Overestimated nutrient supply in the formulation matrix
- —Batch-to-batch variability that averages out on paper but not in the barn
Common mistakes
- —Transferring poultry coefficients to aqua or swine diets
- —Assuming digestibility is stable across origins and seasons
Frequently asked questions
Can digestibility be written into a purchase contract?
Directly, rarely. In practice buyers contract the measurable proxies — urease activity, KOH solubility, pepsin digestibility, reactive lysine — which correlate with digestibility and can be verified on a sample.
Related topics
The amino-acid profile — and above all digestible lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan — is what protein ingredients are actually bought for in modern formulation.
Particle size distribution governs mixing homogeneity, pellet quality, digestive efficiency and segregation risk, and is specified as a geometric mean diameter with a distribution, not a single sieve figure.
Crude protein is nitrogen content multiplied by a conversion factor (usually 6.25); it estimates total protein but says nothing about amino-acid quality or digestibility.
Build a structured RFQ with the parameters, tolerances and verification steps written in — free for buyers.
Start your RFQFor commercial farm feed buyers
Buying feed specified on digestibility for a commercial farm
- Best for
- Commercial farms, integrators, distributors and feed buyers sourcing feed specified on digestibility and related feed, additives or nutrition supply on a recurring commercial scale — not pet food, hobby farms or backyard quantities.
- Animal species covered
- Broilers and layers, dairy and beef cattle, pigs, tilapia, salmon and shrimp, plus sheep and goats on request.
- Typical feed buyer needs
- A written specification, verified suppliers who can hold that specification, comparable pricing on the same delivery terms, documented quality (CoA, certifications) and a supply schedule that matches production.
- Bulk feed and recurring supply
- Most requests are bulk or big-bag volumes on monthly or quarterly contracts. Volume per delivery, storage capacity on farm and contract length change price more than the headline per-tonne quote.
- Feed additives and premix
- Premix, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, toxin binders and other additives can be quoted alongside compound feed or ingredients so one supplier comparison covers the whole ration.
- What affects feed cost
- Raw-material origin and specification, inclusion rates, freight and Incoterms, packaging, order volume, payment terms, currency and certification requirements. Landed cost, not ex-works price, decides the winner.
- RFQ checklist
- Species and production stage, tonnes per month, target specification, delivery port or farm location, packaging, required certifications, first delivery date and contract duration.
- Supplier matching process
- You define the requirement, FeedMatch structures the RFQ, sends it to relevant qualified suppliers, and returns comparable offers side by side so you can negotiate on equal terms.
- Buyer is not charged
- Farm buyers are not charged to submit a requirement, receive matched suppliers or compare quotes.
FeedMatch helps farm buyers compare feed suppliers, nutrition providers, additives suppliers and related solutions. FeedMatch is an intermediary and does not manufacture feed or provide financing directly.
Technical parameter names and analytical method references are kept in English because they are quoted verbatim in contracts, certificates and international standards.
Educational reference. FeedMatch Group does not rank, recommend or endorse manufacturers.
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