This document discusses the efficiency of protein utilization in ruminants. It provides several key points:
1) The efficiency of utilizing absorbed amino acids from the small intestine for tissue protein synthesis depends on the composition of the amino acid mix relative to what needs to be synthesized, represented by its biological value.
2) Biological value can vary depending on the source - microbial protein typically has a value of 0.8 while dietary protein values are more variable.
3) Several protein evaluation systems provide estimates for the efficiency of utilizing truly digested protein that range from 0.64-0.8 for maintenance and 0.28-0.75 for lactation.
4) The document outlines factors influencing biological value