Energy Values (ME, NE, DE)

Energy is species-specific

An ingredient has no single energy value. Poultry metabolisable energy, swine net energy and ruminant digestible energy are different systems with different assumptions. Quoting one number across species is a formulation error, not a specification shortcut.

Matrix values are estimates with variance

Published energy tables represent population averages. Real cargo varies with origin, harvest year, processing intensity and residual oil. Buyers who formulate close to the constraint should either build in a safety margin or verify energy-relevant parameters shipment by shipment.

Typical industrial reference values

Corn (poultry ME)	3,250–3,350 kcal/kg
Soybean meal 46 (poultry ME)	2,150–2,300 kcal/kg
Wheat (poultry ME)	3,000–3,150 kcal/kg	Variable with viscosity and NSP
Vegetable oil (poultry ME)	8,500–9,000 kcal/kg

Indicative industry reference values for orientation only — always contract against the delivered lot.

What to verify

—Which energy system and species the quoted value refers to
—Residual oil, starch and fibre values that drive the calculation
—Whether the value came from a published table, a supplier claim or a measured assay

Typical risks

—Diet energy drifting below target across a production cycle
—Cost per unit of energy being misjudged between origins

Common mistakes

—Comparing a poultry ME value against a swine NE value
—Accepting supplier energy claims without the underlying composition data

Frequently asked questions

Can energy be tested on arrival?

Not directly in routine trade. Energy is predicted from measured composition — oil, starch, fibre, protein and ash — using species-specific equations, or determined in animal trials, which is outside normal cargo verification.