All Episodes

March 17, 2024 48 mins

A fundamental basic of ruminant nutrition – energy density of feeds – is covered in this latest Rumen Room Podcast.

Expressed as Megajoules of Metabolisable Energy per kilogram of dry matter (MJME/kgDM), energy density is an important driver of animal productivity and profitability.

In a down to earth, practical “gumboot level” manner, Dr Charlotte Westwood explores the basics of MJME as a concept and covers how feed testing laboratories measure MJME. How we use MJME values of a feed on farm on a day to day basis is explained. The strengths and possible limitations with the use of MJME in our day to day farm-level decisions is discussed.

Don’t be put off by what is often thought to be a rather "dry" topic of MJME - actually, it’s a straightforward concept - we’re sure you’ll learn a lot from this latest podcast!

Here’s where to find the various sections within the MJME podcast, below:

2.02 Outline of this MJME podcast

3.40 What is “energy”?

6.30 Defining Megajoules and Metabolisable Energy

7.50 Megajoules compared to Megacalories – what’s the difference?

10.25 What is gross energy and why might we be interested?

14.25 Why ruminants can’t use all of gross energy in feeds for useful things

15.10 Faecal energy – what a waste! (#1)

16.10 Digestible energy

17.25 Methane – what a waste! (#2)

18.10 Finally arriving at the MJME number…. How this is calculated

19.00 How different feeds change energy losses as methane

21.00 Measuring MJME – inside the sheep

23.00 Feed testing laboratories estimates of MJME

25.40 Using the digestibility value to calculate MJME

26.20 NIRS technology - digestibility and MJME

31.15 Strengths and weaknesses of MJME as a measure of feed quality – an overview

32.00 Typical MJME values of feed

34.40 Valuing our feeds on a cents per MJME basis – a simple task on farm! Valuing a bale of pasture baleage on an MJME basis as an example

38.00 Using MJME as part of your feed budgeting – MJME demand vs. MJME supply. A 30kg liveweight lamb as an example

40.30 Limitations of MJME as an indicator of suitability of a feed for animals

41.30 MJME is a calculated measure only!

42.00 MJME doesn’t tell us about all of the other interesting stuff in feeds

44.10 Summing up the MJME topic

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.

The Brothers Ortiz

The Brothers Ortiz

The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.