[Influence of the type of feed on the significance of particle loss in the measurement of in sacco degradability of feed nitrogen].

In sacco dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) disappearances without degradation (ie, lost as particles) were measured in 18 concentrates. Mean losses were 17% DM and 11% N, but were larger with oats (40 and 32%). They led to a mean overestimation of N degradability by 3.4 points. Overestimation was higher (up to 8 points) when the losses were high, as for oats, or when degradability was low, as for fish meal.