German Firm Advocates Insoluble Fibre For Improved Livestock Health, Weight Gain

A German company, J. Rettenmaier and Söhne (JRS), has emphasised that the most effective way to boost body weight in birds and reduce livestock mortality, regardless of climate, is through the use of insoluble fibre concentrate in feed mill formulations. 

Source: celticseaminerals

Manfred Pietsch, Head of Business Unit Livestock at JRS, while speaking at a seminar organized by Mid-Century Agro Allied Ventures Limited, in Lagos introduced ARBOCEL—a brand of plant-based cellulose fibers widely used in pharmaceuticals, nutrition, and other industries. 

He explained that in animal nutrition, Arbocel functions as a filler and binder that improves gut health and welfare in poultry and pigs. 

Pietsch, noted that unlike traditional fibre sources, Arbocel is rich in insoluble fibre, scientifically proven to be free from contaminants, and does not occupy excessive space in feed formulations. 

According to him, conventional crude fibres are high in mycotoxins contamination, high plate count, soluble fibre nutrient binding and has approximately 10% crude fiber content which are disadvantageous to quality livestock breed. 

He noted that, the use of Arbocel which boasts of about 70% crude insoluble fibre content will help improve general livestock performance, increase litter quality and gut health in broilers, gut development, laying performance and feather pecking in layers, weight control, better fertility and hatchability as well as improved performance in broiler breeders, intestinal health and immunity in piglets among others. 

Also addressing Animal Nutritionists, Ahmed Mahmoudi, Product and Sales Manager, Animal Nutrition, JRS said that the company has decided to introduce the product to tropical Africa with Nigerian as the vocal point because of its population believing that it will increase livestock production and profitability of farmers. 

He said that JRS has been supplying innovative cellulose fibers to manufacturers worldwide for over 30 years and recorded significant successes with their products. 

Raymond Isiadinso, Managing Director, Mid-Century Agro Allied Ventures Limited, convener of the seminar, pointed out that, prior to this time, Nigerian livestock nutrition has been lacking in some breed ingredients capable of optimising production and Arbocel is one of them. 

He said that there are critical ingredients or nutrients that have multifaceted roles to play in the integrity of the guts and internal anatomy of animals especially in Nigeria due to difference in weather. 

“Many of the animals that we are breeding in Nigeria were brought in from regions where the weather is fairly manageable or conforms with the internal anatomy of the animal but when here, they are kept in an enclosure to meet the breeder’s manual. 

“There is always a challenge in conformity between the original climate and what is obtainable here. To make up for this and ensure that animals reared here in Nigeria despite the difference in climate performs at the same level as those from the conforming climate areas, Arbocel is the answer,” he added.