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Two trials were conducted to study energy metabolism in young pigs. Feeding a highly fortified diet at levels from 2 to 5% body weight did not affect the apparent digestibility coefficients for dry matter, nitrogen or energy. Digestible energy (DE) or metabolizable energy (ME) of the diet was not affected by level of feeding. Metabolizable energy averaged 94% of DE. A highly correlated linear response was observed between ME intake and energy gain, both expressed on a metabolic weight basis (W.75, r = .975). The net energy (NE) required for maintenance for the young pig was 87.26 kcal/day/W.75. Pigs utilized 69% of ME for NE of maintenance or production. Feeding a cellulose diluent (Solka Floc) with the basal diet had no effect on body weight gain or feed: gain ratios, but the apparent digestion coefficients and energy values of the diet decreased. The energy of cellulose was not utilized by young pigs.
Goey et al. (Sun,) studied this question.