Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • July 2025
    • 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. July 2025
    2. 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    3. June 2025
    4. 2025 Innovation supplement
    5. May 2025
    6. April 2025
    7. March 2025
    8. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    9. February 2025
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    20. June 2024
    21. 2024 Innovation supplement
    22. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    23. May 2024
    24. April 2024
    25. March 2024
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    31. October 2023
    32. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    33. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    By Chloe RyanJuly 1, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – June 2025 issue

    June 9, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
Broiler Production

Technical feature: aiding digestion

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanMarch 16, 20224 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

How enzyme technology can help ease feed price pressure

This feature first appeared in the Poultry Business feed & nutrition supplement, published in March 2022

Volatility in global commodity markets, escalating cereal prices and a continued shortage of key amino acids is forcing nutritionists to consider alternative options when formulating poultry diets. Nutritionists are facing pressure to maintain the quality of rations while trying to keep costs as low as possible for producers and substituting higher cost ingredients, such as dietary lysine, with less expensive raw materials certainly offers economic advantages.

However, choosing to supply crude protein requirements from more abundant alternatives, for example soya, sunflower and rapeseed meals, can present challenges.

Agustina Rodriguez, Elanco technical nutritionist and consultant says that although these intact plant-derived ingredients are nutrient-dense and contribute towards meeting the dietary requirements of most poultry rations, they also contain high levels of undigestible β-mannans, which can cause nutritionally related upsets and performance losses.

“β-mannans are complex, undigestible fibres made up of long-chain sugars that are difficult to break down. They’re present in most plant-based raw materials and also have a similar molecular structure to certain pathogens – a structure known as Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPS). Their presence in feed often initiates an innate immune reaction, termed a Feed-Induced Immune Response (FIIR), which frequently triggers a series of physical and biological responses aimed at protecting the birds against infections,” she explains.

When this happens energy and nutrients are diverted away from growth to fuel a FIIR, which negatively impacts feed conversion ratio (FCR) and profit potential. Rodriguez says, birds suffering from this experience will usually encounter intestinal inflammation, compromised gut function and increased susceptibility to enteric infections.

Producers might also detect higher nitrogen levels excreted in faeces, wet litter, a rise in foot burn lesions and certain respiratory conditions – outcomes that have health, welfare and environmental implications.

Fighting FIIR

“Only a small amount of β-mannans is needed to trigger FIIR. Around 0.2% in a ration will begin to cause problems. However, supplying enzymes to a diet can negate this as these naturally derived biological tools can neutralise the anti-nutritive factors associated with these undigestible vegetable fibres. This helps to support the bird’s own digestive processes and optimise gut function and nutrient uptake,” says Rodriguez.

Hemicell, a patented exogenous enzyme has consistently demonstrated effective control of FIIR in commercial poultry flocks. This naturally derived feed additive contains β-mannanase, an enzyme that acts specifically on β-Mannans. Once ingested, the enzyme works immediately, turning the undigestible fibres that typically trigger a FIIR, into smaller, less invasive sugars the immune system cannot recognise as a threat.”

Added to the diet during the manufacturing process, Hemicell does not alter the nutritional quality or value of the ration. It works in the digestive tract alongside the birds’ own digestive enzymes and also other exogenous enzymes, to stabilise gut function, reduce nutrient waste and minimise the risk of associated enteric disorders.

Research has shown that in well-managed crops, β-Mannans can typically cause a 1% to 5% increase in conditions relating to poor intestinal health, and this deterioration in health status is responsible for a 3.4% higher incidence of pododermatitis, resulting in at least 3% more birds with severe footpad lesions.

A comprehensive study, evaluating results from field experiences across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) shows how incorporating enzymes into rations can reduce feed costs by enabling the use of lower spec rations. Data looking into the feed saving opportunities of feeding enzymes, was collected across 15 commercial sites over a six-year period.

The parameters monitored were FCR, growth and mortality when dietary energy levels were reduced. A total of 120 million birds were analysed for this data set. “The enzyme used in the trial, has proven to deliver economically significant production benefits. Broiler fed diets containing the enzyme continued to perform well, achieving a similar FCR, EPEF and mortality, even when energy supplies were reduced by 87kcal/kg1.

“These results suggest that Hemicell effectively controlled the ill-effects presented by B-mannans in the diet and that it enabled the broilers to make full use of the nutrients supplied in the ration for growth and performance. The results also demonstrate how adding enzymes to less expensive, lower spec formulations might offer producers and nutritionist the opportunity to make savings to feed costs without jeopardising productivity and performance,” says Rodriguez.

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleNew managing director for Soanes Poultry
Next Article Improving eggshell quality
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Production

Comment: We need to attract young people to the poultry industry

July 8, 20252 Mins Read
Production

New RSPCA chicken welfare standards now available for RSPCA Assured members

July 7, 20252 Mins Read
Production

The Chicken and the Shed: A Tale of Two Growth Curves

July 7, 20252 Mins Read
Latest News

EFSA warns of bird migration and US imports pathways for AI into Europe

July 11, 2025

Comment: New catching rules are a disaster

July 10, 2025

Comment: Skills for what?

July 10, 2025
Sponsored Content

Navigating Sustainability in Egg Production: Practical Steps for Producers

June 1, 2025

Maintain stable and continuous coccidiosis control amidst stocking density reductions

November 1, 2024
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.