Routine methods for predicting the net energy and protein values of concentrates for horses in the UFC and MADC systems

New feed evaluation systems for energy and protein were proposed by INRA in France in the 1980s and updated until the 2000s. In these systems, the net energy and the protein values of feeds expressed in UFC and MADC, respectively, can be predicted using either feeding tables or/and equations of prediction based on parameters determined routinely by feed analysis. For concentrate feeds, the tables published in 1984–1990 have been updated and extended in 2004. And UFC or MADC values can be predicted directly from chemical composition or/and digestible components. For compound feeds, UFC is predicted from chemical composition. MADC value has to be calculated using the additive procedure as no equation based on chemical composition has been yet performed. The new prospects are to work out routine methodologies to determine digestible components for predicting the net energy value of concentrate feeds and compound feeds; in the last case in vivo digestibility references have to be obtained then included in the existing equations using only chemical components. Equations based on chemical components to predict directly the protein value of compound feeds have to be performed. These studies are in progress.