Is beet pulp safe for chickens to eat?

[Varisha]

So I'm feeding beet soaked pulp pellets to my horses and my chickens have been scavenging what they can. ... Is it safe for them? If not I can just keep them locked up until the horses are completly done.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Beet pulp is FIBER, monogastrics such as pigs, people, and chickens are not designed to utilize fiber. I would not use the beet pulp in my chickens as it dilutes energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals in their ration. Now if the chickens are eating dropped scraps from the horses I would not worry about incidental consumption by the chickens.

Jim

 

[Varisha]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

Beet pulp is FIBER, monogastrics such as pigs, people, and chickens are not designed to utilize fiber. I would not use the beet pulp in my chickens as it dilutes energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals in their ration. Now if the chickens are eating dropped scraps from the horses I would not worry about incidental consumption by the chickens.

Jim

They get it from the horses pans when the horse walk away to grab a bite of hay or get a quick drink.. then after the horses are done the chickens 'clean the plate'.

But I don't understand is that you say people are not suppose to have fiber? or am I misunderstanding your statement.​

 

[S0rcy]

It will not harm the chickens from what I have seen. Here is an article that specifies that feeding sugar beet pulp increases weight when fed to broilers:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8399094

 

[Varisha]

Quote:
Thanks for the great artical

When fed to horses it's to help them gain weight as well.

 

[S0rcy]

Jim, I'm not sure where the idea that humans are not supposed to use fiber comes from. Soluble fiber helps in balancing acids and water content of stools. Insoluble fiber helps keep the intestines working correctly. Neither one of them have anything to do with diluting nutrients. Soluble fiber if anything would slow down the gastric process so nutrients can be absorbed more effectively instead of just passing on. Not having had the class yet, I cannot say that this works the same in chickens, but I doubt there is much difference. Since chickens eat grass, they are getting fiber. How much they require is a different question.

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

Beet pulp is FIBER, monogastrics such as pigs, people, and chickens are not designed to utilize fiber. I would not use the beet pulp in my chickens as it dilutes energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals in their ration. Now if the chickens are eating dropped scraps from the horses I would not worry about incidental consumption by the chickens.

Jim​

 

[hiddenmagnolia]

My chickens always steal some from my goats every chance that they can. They have done that for years with no ill effects. Since you soak it first for your horses then the chicken will not be harmed.

 

[Eggseronious]

It will be ok. Dont worry! When they are running out they will pick up fiber in grasses.

 

[digitS']

Quote:
I'm pleased that professional journal information is being used to help us decide on suitable feed choices. Thank you, SOrcy!

I've gotta say tho', 23 grams per kilogram in their feed doesn't amount to much beet pulp. That's only 2.3% and would work out to about 3 grams (1/10th of an ounce) per day per chicken (or so). The higher levels (46 and 92 g/kg) apparently weren't of any benefit to the broilers.

Perhaps the authors of this study would say that a little beet pulp shouldn't do any harm and may even be of some good in a chicken's diet. But, they would be talking about just a little.

Steve

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Quote:
SOrcy:

Soluble fibers do have beneficial effects on the gut health, but monogastrics such as humans still can not digest fiber, they were designed to digest proteins and starches. Ther can be subtle change to the hindgut microflora to gain some VFA production but that is a crude and incomplete digestion of fiber.

Changes to the viscosity of the digesta slightly increases the digestibility of feedstuffs by increasing the transit time, but the increase comes at the expense of feed intake.

Jim