Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) and Non Structural Carbohydrate (NSC) requirements in the nutrition of dairy ewes

The aim of this review was to contribute to the knowledge of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and non structural carbohydrate (NSC) requirements in the nutrition of dairy ewes. NDF and NSC requirements were evaluated by analysing a dataset that involved 30 experimental trials carried out from 1985 to 2003. The dataset included chemical composition of the experimental diets, individual milk yield, body weight, milk protein and fat content. These selected papers regard 10 different dairy ewe breeds (Valle del Belice, Bergamasca, Comisana, Delle Langhe, Massese, Sarda, Chios, Manchega, Lacaune and Friesian) and lactating ewes in mid lactation, kept under non homogeneous environmental and feeding conditions. Results substantially confirmed that which was recently reported in literature: NDF requirements are higher in late lactation than during early lactation and they vary between 33-38% on DM, while NSC requirements are higher during early lactation than in late lactation when the energy from NSC promotes an increase in fat deposits.