Nutritional Strategies for Poultry Using Fermented Feed Ingredients
Summary
Fermented feed ingredients have emerged as a sustainable approach to enhance the nutritional value of conventional and by-product poultry feeds. Through targeted microbial processes, antinutritional factors such as non-starch polysaccharides and fibre fractions are degraded, soluble proteins and free amino acids are increased, and bioactive compounds including organic acids and enzymes accumulate. These changes improve protein and energy digestibility, modulate gut microflora and support gut integrity under diverse climatic conditions. Fermentation strategies range from solid-state fermentation of oilseed meals with cellulolytic or lactic acid bacteria to liquid fermentation of cereals and pulse by-products. Worldwide, such approaches reduce reliance on imported soybean meal, cut feed costs, lower environmental impact and may contribute to antibiotic-free production systems. Practical applications include up to 15 % inclusion of properly fermented palm kernel cake in broiler diets without compromising growth, as well as tailored fat supplementation to optimise energy availability and intestinal health in tropical regions.
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Nutritional Strategies for Poultry Using Fermented Feed Ingredients publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional strategies for poultry using fermented feed ingredients across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Solid-state fermentation: microbial cultivation on moist solid substrates without free liquid, used to enhance feed ingredient nutritive value.
Lactic acid bacteria fermentation: microbial process employing Lactobacillus or Weissella species to produce organic acids and enzymes in feed substrates.
Apparent metabolizable energy (AME): the gross energy of feed minus the energy lost in excreta, reflecting energy available to the bird.
Villus height: the length of intestinal mucosal projections, an indicator of nutrient absorption capacity and gut health.
β-mannan: a non-starch polysaccharide in certain oilseed meals acting as a prebiotic when released by microbial enzymes.
References
- Impact of Feeding Fermented Palm Kernel Cake and High Dietary Fat on Nutrient Digestibility, Enzyme Activity, Intestinal Morphology and Intestinal Nutrient Transporters mRNA Expression in Broiler Chickens under Hot and Humid Conditions. Animals (2022).
- Feeding fermented palm kernel cake with higher levels of dietary fat improved gut bacterial population and blood lipid concentration but not the growth performance in broiler chickens. Italian Journal of Animal Science (2021).
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