Swede
12% dry matter, 12.5 MJ of metabolisable energy per kg of dry matter, 12% crude protein and 17% fibre (NDF) — the cited reference values behind our calculators.
Composition
Energy is MJ ME per kg of dry matter. Everything else is a percentage of dry matter.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Dry matter | 12% |
| Energy (ME) | 12.5 MJ/kg DM |
| Crude protein | 12% |
| Fibre (NDF) | 17% |
| Starch | 2% |
| Sugar | 27% |
| Fat | 0.9% |
Macro-minerals, % of dry matter
- Calcium
- 0.4%
- Phosphorus
- 0.35%
- Magnesium
- 0.2%
- Sodium
- 1.04%
- Potassium
- 2.8%
- Sulphur
- 0.17%
Chloride is left out on purpose: standard lab digestion doesn't recover it, so published feed tables leave it blank and ours would be an estimate. A mineral left out here is one the source table didn't report — not a measured zero.
Where these numbers come from
DairyNZ Facts & Figures Ch.5, “Swedes”; fibre from New Zealand brassica whole-plant literature.
Swedes accumulate sodium (1.04% DM), so they lift dietary sodium and DCAD meaningfully. If stock strip the leaves and leave the bulb, fibre runs higher than shown.
How it compares
Other forages in the library, ordered by how close they sit to Swede on energy.
| Feed | DM % | ME | Protein | Fibre | c/MJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swedethis page | 12 | 12.5 | 12% | 17% | — |
| Chicory | 14 | 12.5 | 22% | 34% | — |
| Fodder beet (bulb) | 15 | 12.2 | 9% | 16% | — |
| Forage rape | 12 | 12.8 | 11% | 23% | — |
| Turnip | 9 | 12 | 15% | 17% | — |
A dash under c/MJ means the feed isn't bought — grazed pasture and standing crops carry no purchase price, and showing them at zero would read as free.
Does it feed the animal?
A composition on its own can't tell you that. Open the calculator with Swede added to the diet, set your stock and how much of it they're getting, and it will tell you what the diet actually supports — and which of energy, protein or gut fill runs out first.
Feedwise gives indicative models for decision support. It is not a substitute for a nutritionist or veterinarian — for animal-health decisions, talk to your vet.