J. Rettenmaier and Söhne (JRS), a German company, has said that the best way to increase the body weight of birds and reduce mortality in livestock, irrespective of the climate, is to use insoluble fibre concentrate as part of the ingredients for livestock feed mills.
JRS introduced Arbocel, a plant-based cellulose fiber brand, to nutritionists in Nigeria at a recent roundtable seminar in Lagos. Arbocel is used in pharmaceuticals, nutrition, and other industries. It works as a filler and binder to improve gut health and welfare in poultry and pigs.
Manfred Pietsch, head of the business unit livestock at JRS, said Arbocel is unlike traditional fibre sources. It is rich in insoluble fibre, is scientifically proven to be contaminant-free, and does not consume space in feed formulations.
According to him, conventional crude fibres are high in mycotoxin contamination and plate count. They also have soluble fibre and a nutrient-binding capacity and 10 percent crude fibre content, which is a disadvantage for quality livestock breeds, he said.
He noted that the use of Arbocel, which boasts about 70 percent crude insoluble fibre content, will help improve general livestock performance, increase litter quality and gut health in broilers, 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.
Ahmed Mahmoudi, product and sales manager – animal nutrition at JRS, said the company has decided to introduce the product to tropical Africa, with Nigeria as the focal point, owing to its population, believing that it will increase livestock production and the profitability of farmers.
According to him, JRS has been supplying innovative cellulose fibers to manufacturers worldwide for over 30 years and has recorded significant successes with their products.
Also, Raymond Isiadinso, managing-director, Mid-Century Agro Allied Ventures Ltd, and convener, hinted that, prior to this time, Nigerian livestock nutrition has been lacking in some breed ingredients capable of optimizing production, and Arbocel is one of them.
He added that there are critical ingredients or nutrients that have multifaceted roles to play in the integrity of the gut and internal anatomy of animals, especially in Nigeria, due to differences in weather.
“This places a lot of stress on the production animal, which forces them to underproduce.”
“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 an animal, but when brought here to breed, 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, perform at the same level as those from the conforming climate areas, Arbocel is the answer.”
