SPECIAL STORY FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2022 55 INSOLUBLE FIBER - AN ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT FOR POULTRY "In the past decades nutritionists did not pay attention to fiber in poultry feed formulations. Step by step the researcher as well as the industry realizes the importance of fiber for poultry. The use of fiber in poultry has been and still is a major research topic at universities around the globe. This paper will give an overview on the basics in fibers in poultry nutrition with a special focus on broiler breeders." FIBER CLASSIFICATION Dietary fiber has been described as the skeletal remains of plant cells in diets that are not digested by animal digestive enzymes. Fibers constitute a significant part of all plant feedstuffs. The variation in the amount and structure is large between different plant materials. The structure has a significant impact on the physiological function of fiber; therefore it makes sense to classify them. A main distinctive feature amongst different fiber sources is the solubility. Vegetable roots and fruits like apple, orange and sugar beet deliver mainly soluble fiber (i.e. pectin) while all kinds of bran deliver more insoluble (i.e. cellulosic) fiber. A quite interesting product group that has been researched intensively in the past 10 years are the crude fiber concentrates based on lignocellulose. They deliver by definition at least 60 % crude fiber which is insoluble. There is some evidence that insoluble fibers have a positive effect on selected parameters. The digestibility of starch is higher and digesta passage rate faster when a moderate level of insoluble fiber is present in the diet. Due to the faster passage rate there is less accumulation of toxic substances in the intestinal tract. The effect of insoluble fiber on gut functions stems from its ability to accumulate in the gizzard, which seems to regulate digesta passage rate and nutrient digestion in the intestine. Furthermore, there are clear indications that diets high in insoluble fiber are preventive of cannibalism outbreaks in laying hens and breeders. On the other hand soluble fibers depress the digestibility of protein, starch and fat due to their impact on digesta viscosity. FIBER AND LITTER QUALITY There are plenty of trials showing that insoluble fibers improve the litter quality in broilers and layers significantly. Farran from the American University of Beirut observed a significant reduction in litter moisture in broilers due to the use of an insoluble crude fiber concentrate compared to wheat bran. In this corn soya formulation 0.8 % of insoluble crude fiber concentrate (ARBOCEL®, JRS Germany) replaced 0.8 % of wheat bran. Barwary from the La Trobe University in Australia confirmed these positive effects of insoluble crude fiber concentrate on the litter quality in layers in their trails. Dr. Manfred Pietsch Head of Animal Nutrition Department JRS Germany
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