Recommended Minimum NDF Concentrations Based on Proportion of NDF Coming from Forage Sources

NDF from Forage (% of Dietary Dry Matter)

NDF from Forage (% of NDF)

Minimum Total NDF (% of Dietary Dry Matter)

19

75

25

18

66

27

17

58

29

Adapted from National Research Council. Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2001. https://doi.org/10.17226/9825. Reprinted with permission.

As the proportion of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) from forage sources decreases, the minimum requirement for total NDF increases. These represent minimum requirements; diets with higher NDF concentrations present no problem and are generally appropriate for animals with relatively low energy requirements.