The effect of dietary fibre on the small intestines and apparent digestion in the turkey

Abstract

1. In order to determine the feasibility of using high fibre diets in turkey rations, three crude fibre dietary concentrations were fed to turkey hens at three ages and performance, fibre digestibility and small intestinal morphology were determined. 2. Growth rate and feed efficiency decreased when diets contained 80 to 90 g crude fibre/kg; however, growth did not change when 60 g crude fibre/kg was fed between 1 and 4 weeks or between 6 and 8 weeks and was enhanced between 11 and 14 weeks of age. 3. Digestibilities of crude protein, fat and gross energy (GE) were depressed at fibre intakes of 80 to 90 g/kg between 1 and 4 weeks but not at later ages. Crude fibre digestibility increased with age and decreased with dietary fibre content. 4. Total small intestinal length and surface area were increased by high dietary crude fibre intake between 11 and 14 weeks. Small but inconsistent changes in the length, diameter and number of villi, villus size and area were observed in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum at the different ages as a result of feeding the different crude fibre concentrations. 5. Crude fibre can be utilised to some extent by turkeys and concentrations of 60 g fibre/kg in the diet did not result in decreased performance after 6 weeks of age.

Growth, carcass, and physiological traits of growing male China Micro-ducks fed various levels of dietary crude fibre

“…In the present study, the higher level of CF in the diet might help improve the ADG and the FCR of the experimental ducks, suggesting that the variations of the dietary CF level within a certain range would not negatively impact the growth performance of CMD. Similar results have been reported by Sklan et al (2003) in growing-finishing turkeys, Boguslawska-Tryk (2005) in broilers from 0 to 42 days of age, Gonzalez-Alvarado et al (2007) and Jimenez-Moreno et al (2016) in broilers from 1 to 21 days of age, and Jimenez- Moreno et al (2013) in broilers from 1 to 18 days of age, which showed that an increase of the CF content of the diet in the appropriate range did not affect ADFI but improved ADG and FCR. Mateos et al (2012) considered that the benefits of fibre supplementation on the growth performance of birds were probably linked with improved nutrient digestibility arising from a better development and function of the gizzard rather than from changes in the metabolic pathways.…”

“…Birds adapt quickly to alterations in the DF content by the modifications of the length and weight of the digestive organs as well as the rate of passage through the diverse sections of the GIT (Mateos et al 2012). Elevating the insoluble fibre content of the diet resulted in a decreased length of the small intestine (Sklan et al 2003), along with an increased relative weights of proventriculus and gizzard (Gonzalez-Alvarado et al 2007, 2008Jimenez-Moreno et al 2011;Svihus 2011;Yokhana et al 2016). The current research exhibited that DF might advance the relative weights of proventriculus and gizzard instead of those of jejunum and ileum.…”

“…However, several studies have proved that the addition of moderate quantities of insoluble DF does not influence voluntary feed intake in broilers (Gonzalez-Alvarado et al 2007;Jimenez-Moreno et al 2011), growing turkeys (Sklan et al 2003), or laying hens (PerezBonilla et al 2011). Moreover, Leeson et al (1996) indicated that broilers possessed the ability to adjust feed intake when the energy concentration of the diet was diluted with up to 7.5% oat hulls.…”

Effect of pectin extracted from citrus pulp on digesta characteristics and nutrient digestibility in broilers chickens

“…Dietary soluble fibers decrease the apparent digestibility of lipids in broilers (Smits et al, 1998) and turkeys (Sklan et al, 2003). Non-starch polysaccharides have been correlated with the variation of nutritional values of cereal grains in experiments with domestic birds (Rowe et al, 1999), because these polysaccharides decrease the digestibility of starch, protein, fat, and mineral salts (Choct & Annison, 1990;Choct et al, 1996).…”

HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus)

“…Among nutrients constituting poultries' feeds, the fibrous fraction is very low. Some studies have nevertheless indicated that increasing levels of fiber may enhance performance in chickens and turkeys hens (Ricke et al, 1982;Sklan et al, 2003). Jorgensen et al(1995) showed that the source of fibers has an impact on the development of the gastrointestinal tract, digestibility and energy metabolism in broiler chickens.…”