β-mannans are likely costing you money in unnecessary feed costs:

They’re almost certainly in your feed, so understanding more about these compounds is the first step to stopping them sapping your productivity, and reducing their wider environmental impact…

Definition:

β-mannans = non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fibres

Description:

Naturally occurring non-nutritive feed compounds

They cannot be broken down in the gut and detract from, rather than adding to the nutritional value of the feed

β-mannans are found in many common vegetable feed ingredients:

Palm kernel meal: 7.24%
Soya hulls: 6.67%
Soybean meal: 0.67%
Sunflower meal: 0.60%
DDGS: 0.57%
Oats: 0.31%

β-mannans are resistant to common feed processing procedures, such as pelleting and extrusion.

The problem with β-mannans

β-mannans cause a natural, but costly series of events within an animal, called a Feed-Induced Immune Response (FIIR):

1. The animals’ innate immune system misrecognises β-mannans as a potentially disease-causing pathogen and mounts a response to protect itself against the perceived threat.

The molecular pattern of β-mannans is similar to some microorganisms

2. This natural, but unnecessary immune response

uses up energy
causes inflammation
negatively affects Intestinal Integrity
reduces nutrient absorption
negatively affects energy metabolism

3. Animals need to be fed more to compensate for these losses.

Even small amounts of β-mannans (just 0.2%) trigger this response

β-mannans cause a feed induced immune response (FIIR)

Reduces nutrient digestion

Diverts energy away from growth / production

Negatively impacts on gut health

Increases feed costs

Find out more about the impact of β-mannans

References:

1. Daskiran, M., Teeter, R., Fodge, D. and Hsiao, H. 2004. “An Evaluation of Endo-ß-D-mannanase (Hemicell) Effects on Broiler Performance and Energy Use in Diets Varying in ß-mannan Content.” Poultry Sci. 83: 662-668.

PM-UK-21-0762