What is the approximate Net Energy for Maintenance (NEm) density needed by a milk-producing domestic yak?
Answer
Forage closer to $1.0$ Mcal/kg DM
There is a marked difference in energy density requirements between a wild yak simply surviving winter and a domestic yak actively engaged in production, such as lactation. A wild yak might manage on forage yielding approximately $0.6$ Mcal of Net Energy for Maintenance (NEm) per kilogram of Dry Matter (DM) intake, relying on sheer volume consumption. However, supporting the high metabolic demands of milk production pushes the requirement upwards; consequently, modern domestic yaks producing milk often necessitate feed quality that provides energy density closer to $1.0$ Mcal/kg DM to sustain that level of output, even under managed conditions.
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