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HOME / LABORATORY SERVICES / SOIL, FEED AND WATER CHEMISTRY TESTING LABORATORY / FEED TESTING / FEED LAB RESPONSIVE TO CLIENT NEEDS /

Feed Test Results: Soluble Protein

Soluble protein is that portion of the total protein which is easily solubilized in the rumen and, therefore, immediately available to rumen microbes which convert it quickly to ammonia. In situations where the supply of other nutrients required to transform this ammonia into microbial protein is insufficient, this nitrogen is excreted by the animal as urea through a process which wastes a great deal of energy at the same time. In general, as the soluble protein content of a forage increases, the protein quality is reduced and the amount of rumen undegradable protein ("bypass" protein) decreases. As poorly fermented silages may contain elevated levels of soluble protein and soluble protein can be used to predict "bypass" protein, soluble protein should be determined for each "batch" of ensiled forage.