Heat damage can hide behind CP

Heating during storage can bind sugars and amino groups through Maillard reactions. The nitrogen is still there, so crude protein can look acceptable while ADICP or ADIN rises and available protein falls. Dark color, a toasted smell, and a hot pile are field clues — the fiber-bound nitrogen line is the laboratory one.

Oregon State’s forage-report guide and laboratory result keys read ADICP as bound protein, not as extra nutrition. When feed heated, read fiber-bound protein before trusting total CP. Do not treat the CP headline as proof the protein is still available.

Sister notes on this universe cover crude-protein-is-only-the-headline and escape-protein-still-has-to-digest. The-lab-cannot-fix-the-sample still applies: a heated seam can be missed or overrepresented depending on where the bag was filled. Educational only — not a diagnosis, prescription, or ration formula.