Differentiation of energy supplements using in vitro fermentation rates generated with the Reading Pressure Technique

Abstract

The in sacco technique has been successfully utilised to differentiate feedstuffs in terms of their rate and extent of degradation. However, the large initial particle losses associated with the requirement to finely divide the substrates prior to incubation and the inability of the technique to examine liquid feed supplements has led to alternative methodologies being adopted. This study examined the ability of the Reading Pressure Technique (RPT) to differentiate a number of minimally processed energy supplements, in terms of their rate of degradation.