Role of Bypass Protein in Feeding Ruminants on Crop Residue Based Diet - Review -

Measurement of DCP is considered inadequate and unsatisfactory means of assessing the protein value of the diet as no distinction is made between the digestion in ferestomach and in the small intestine. Protein meals should be classified on the basis of rumen degradable protein (RDP) and rumen undegradable protein (UDP). Usually, protein meals naturally available with high level of UDP or bypass protein value should be preferred for incorporation in the diet of lactating and growing animals. However, if such resources are non-available or are expensive, protein meals having high degradability can be carefully subjected to heat or formaldehyde treatment to achieve desired level of rumen bypassability. Various studies conducted the world over have revealed that bypass protein feeding to ruminants, especially when animals are fed on crop residue based basal diet, help increasing feed conversion efficiency in growing and lactating ruminants.