Low-ME wheat or low-ME chickens? - Highly variable responses by birds on the same low-ME wheat diet

Abstract

The "low-ME" wheat phenomenon is not entirely dependent on the physico-chemical nature of wheat. It is a multi-faceted problem closely linked with the individuality of the digestive physiology of broiler chickens given diets containing high levels of arabinoxylans from wheat. Commercial glycanases offer an immediate solution to the problem. However, more effort should be put into obtaining a clearer understanding of the "low-ME" problem, particularly as to why some birds in the same flock are not affected to anywhere near the same extent as others in terms of poor nutrient digestibility and excessive output of wet, sticky excreta.