As poultry farmers increasingly adopt more sustainable diets, managing the impact of β-mannans remains important for protecting bird health and performance and reducing the carbon footprint of production. Elanco vet Tom Dutton explains how adding Hemicell™, an enzyme which breaks down β-mannans, to broiler diets can improve sustainability and protect bird performance. What are β-mannans? Present in most broiler diets, β-mannans are found in the cell walls of vegetable material. When ingested, the bird’s immune system mistakenly registers them as a potential pathogen, triggering an immune response. As a result, energy that would otherwise be used for growth is redirected…