Enhancing Bird Weight and Decreasing Livestock Loss

Incorporating insoluble fiber concentrate into livestock feed is deemed the optimal strategy for boosting birds' body weight and reducing death rates in livestock, irrespective of environmental factors.

This insight was provided by J. Rettenmaier and Söhne (JRS), a German firm, at a roundtable event held in Lagos, organized by Mid-Century Agro Allied Ventures Ltd.

Manfred Pietsch, Head of the Business Unit Livestock at JRS, introduced ARBOCEL, a type of plant-derived cellulose fiber utilized in pharmaceuticals and nutrition industries. He explained that unlike conventional fiber sources, Arbocel is abundant in insoluble fiber and is scientifically verified to be free of contaminants, thus not taking up space in feed mixtures.

He pointed out that it acts as both a filler and binder, significantly enhancing gut health and overall well-being in poultry and pigs for Nigerian nutritionists.

Pietsch noted that traditional crude fibers often suffer from high levels of mycotoxin contamination, high microbial counts, and nutrient binding due to soluble fiber, typically containing only around 10 percent crude fiber content, which hampers the quality of livestock breeds.

Utilizing Arbocel, which features approximately 70 percent crude insoluble fiber, can elevate overall livestock performance, enhance litter quality, promote gut health in broilers, improve gut development and laying efficiency in layers, facilitate weight management, and increase fertility and hatchability. It also boosts performance in broiler breeders, intestinal wellness, and resistance in piglets, among other benefits.

The Product and Sales Manager for Animal Nutrition at JRS, Ahmed Mahmoudi, addressed animal nutritionists and announced the decision to introduce this product to tropical Africa, using Nigeria as a focal point due to its growing population, with the aim of enhancing livestock production and farmer profitability.

According to Mahmoudi, JRS has been providing innovative cellulose fibers to manufacturers internationally for over three decades and has achieved notable success with its products.

Raymond Isiadinso, Managing Director of Mid-Century Agro Allied Ventures Ltd., who convened the seminar, expressed that Nigerian livestock nutrition has previously lacked certain breed-specific ingredients necessary for optimizing production—Arbocel being a significant one.

He asserted that there are essential nutrients that play vital roles in maintaining the integrity of the digestive systems and internal structures of animals, especially in Nigeria. The local climate creates additional stress on production animals, often leading to suboptimal performance.

"Most of the livestock bred in Nigeria originate from areas with relatively manageable climates, which align with the animal's anatomy. However, once brought here and confined according to the breeder's guidelines, they face challenges in adapting,"

Isiadinso explained. "The disparity between their native climate and the local environment poses challenges. To remedy this and ensure that animals raised here perform optimally like those from compatible climates, Arbocel stands out as the solution."