The amount of feed on a dry-matter basis is always ______ than the amount of feed on an as-fed basis.

On a dry-matter basis, the amount of feed is lower than on an as-fed basis because the as-fed amount includes the moisture content present in the feed. When feed is analyzed on a dry-matter basis, it accounts only for the nutrients and components found in the feed after all the water has been removed. This means that the dry-matter value does not take into consideration the weight of the water, which typically constitutes a significant portion of the total weight of many feeds.

For instance, if a particular feed contains 20% moisture, then 80% of its weight is the dry matter. When evaluating the nutritional content or feed intake on a dry-matter basis, it provides a more accurate reflection of the nutrients available for animal consumption without the diluting effect of water. This is especially important for nutritionists and animal scientists to ensure that they are formulating diets based on the actual nutrient availability without the influence of moisture.

Thus, when making comparisons or performing calculations related to feed consumption or nutrient intake, using dry-matter values is essential for accuracy, as they represent the true nutritional content accessible to the animals.