Fiber in Animal Nutrition

21 Fiber effects related to health and welfare topics Sugar beet pulp stabilized the glucose and insulin levels. After an indifferent eight hour time period the number of posture changes was significantly higher in the group fed wheat middlings compared to the sugar beet pulp group. Reduced physical activity indicates a prolonged feeling of satiation. The feeding trials above show that finding parameters to clearly define satiation in a scientific context is difficult and results with the objective to describe the fiber source with the best satiation effect are often con- troversial. On farm level insoluble/bulking fibers in combination with a fermentable fiber are positively accepted i.e. in cereal based diets combining Arbocel lignocel- lulose with a fermentable fiber like sugar beet pulp (ratio 1:2). Lactation While a good body condition and satiation are the main focus during gestation the fee- ding strategy undergoes a drastic transition in the lactation period. While fed restrictively during gestation sows are fed ad libitum du- ring lactation. Free access to feed is essential to ensure a sufficient supply with nutrients for milk production and to ensure a limited weight loss. Maximizing feed intake while providing a highly digestible diet is the goal. Inmany European countries pre-farrowing diets are high in fiber (6–8% CF) and low in energy (11.8–12.2 MJ ME/kg) while lactation diets are lower in fiber (4–5%CF) and high in energy (13.0–13.4 MJ ME/kg). It is important to manage the transition from the gestation diet to the lactation diet carefully. Laziness of the bowels is a common problem resulting in constipati- on and MMA problems. The fibrous feed stuffs fed should be flawless in quality and hygiene while providing a good WBC to fill the gut (Sommer, 2004), i.e. sunflower meal, sugar beet pulp or lucerne meal and provoke its function. Especially lignocellulose can help support peristalsis around farrowing and it prepares sows for higher feed volumes during the fol- lowing lactation. Additionally it is a clever solution during the lactation period. Due to its very high fiber concentration Arbocel enables the formulation of diets with a sui- table fiber level while ensuring a sufficient energy level. It is well known that a certain Figure 4: Number of posture changes made by sows fed either a low-fNSP diet (L) or a high-fNSP diet (H) during each 2 hour period in the 14 hour light period. Results are expressed as means, n = 5. p-values show differences between treatments, p ≤ 0.05 *, p = 0.05** (De Leeuw et al., 2004) 20 15 10 5 0 6–8 10–12 14–16 18–20 Posture changes (number) Time period (:00 h) L H * ** © ERLING Verlag