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1. An experiment was conducted to evaluate high-fibre sunflower cake (HF-SFC); 24 a feed ingredient distinguished by large amounts of crude fibre and insoluble non-starch 25 polysaccharides (i-NSP). 26 2. Broiler chickens (n=160) were fed on pelleted maize-based diets free from coccidiostats 27 and antibiotic growth promoters between 15 and 31 d of age. Diets included 0, 10, 20 or 30% 28 HF-SFC. Performance and small intestinal health were assessed. 29 3. In general, HF-SFC inclusion mediated significant linear increases in ileal digestibility of 30 fat and protein and significant linear decreases in ileal digestibility of dry matter, ash and 31 energy. 32 4. Weight gain increased linearly with HF-SFC inclusion. Feed conversion was negatively 33 affected by 30% HF-SFC but not by 20% HF-SFC. 34 5. In the jejunal lumen, inclusion of HF-SFC was associated with significant decreases in 35 colony counts of Clostridium spp. 36 6. HF-SFC inclusion resulted in significant linear reductions of villus height, thickness of 37 muscularis mucosa, and the circular and longitudinal layers of muscularis in the jejunum. 38 Crypt depth and submucosal thickness were not affected. 39 7. The data indicate that broiler chickens may thrive on feeds with insoluble fibre contents far 40 exceeding those used in practice, and that HF-SFC exerts some positive effects on digestion 41 and small intestinal health. 42 1 : Different superscripts within rows indicate significant treatment effects (P<0.05) in the ANOVA.

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Carbohydrate composition of ethanol-and water extracts, extract viscosity, and (3-glucan content of barley harvested at two stages of ripeness (early yellow ripeness, EYR, and combine ripeness, CR) subjected to two storage treatments have been investigated. The productive value of the barleys supplemented and unsupplemented with (3-glucanase has been evaluated in a broiler experiment.Extract viscosity of barley, caused by soluble (3-glucans, decreased with later stage of ripeness and by anaerobic storage treatment. The content of (3-glucans increased with maturity indicating a lower solubility of the (3-glucans. The (3-glucan content was reduced by anaerobic storage of the CR barley. Carbohydrate analyses of ethanol-extracts revealed more reducing sugars in EYR barley while sucrose and raffinose was found in higher concentrations in CR barley. During anaerobic storage, sucrose and raffinose disappeared while fructose, galactose, and glucose increased.Anaerobic storage of moist barley and /3-glucanase supplementation of the chicken diets improved feed consumption, weight gain, and feed conversion ratios significantly and also increased dry matter content of the excreta and improved cleanliness of the cages. No significant difference in the productive value of the (3-glucanase supplemented diets, and those based on anaerobically stored barley was obtained. Enzyme supplementation to the diet in a dry preparation was slightly superior over adding (3-glucanase through the drinking water. (