Fermented feed for chickens

[Perris]

Those who want to really understand what fermenting can do to whole grains might this review from 2020 useful:

Impact of Fermentation on the Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Whole Cereal Grains: A Mini Review​

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/4/927

The description of the process and its effects on a variety of whole grains is what's useful here.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Characteristically informative, and ends with wit to boot. Thanks again.

Can you point me towards some refs where I can read about the current consensus further, because it is not entirely consistent with the most useful paper I've found on the caeca, which dates to 2013. Some pertinent excerpts from that are:

Blah! sory it took me so long- Im talking into my computer and parrots are screaming in the background, but here it goes-

Newer work using sequencing and metabolomics (e.g., Kers et al., 2018; Józefiakk et al., 2020; more recent Frontiers and Poultry Science reviews through 2023–2025) has only reinforrced that they host the most diverse microbial populations and produce SCFAs like butyrate, which support gut health.

But the key clarification — and this is where more recent literature sharpens the older papers — is that:

They are the main fermentation site… not the main nutrition site.

That’s why newer reviews (Jha & Berrocoso 2015; Kierończyk et al. 2022; recent Poultry Science reviews) frame the caeca as:

• a secondary fermentation system
• a microbiome modulation hub
• more influential when diets are low quality, high fiber, or poorly digestible

Which actually lines up perfectly with the older studies you quoted — especially the ones showing benefits under protein-deficient or poorly digestible diets.

So the takeaway hasn’t changed — it’s just clearer now: The worse the diet, the more the caeca matter.

And that’s really the point in the fermented feed discussion. If you’re feeding a balanced commercial ration, the bird is already designed to extract what it needs before the caeca ever get involved (in theory for formulated diets). Fermenting doesn’t “unlock” some hidden system — it just shifts microbial activity earlier, often less predictably.

If you’re feeding whole grains, fiber-heavy inputs, or marginal diets, then yes — the caeca become more relevant. But that’s not because fermentation is required… it’s because the bird is compensating- of course this is just the opinion of a few in the newer studies.

But they’re also not saying the caeca run the show — they’re saying:
the caeca matter most when the bird is dealing with things it couldn’t digest earlier.

Edit: I have a pHd, but a professional at typos. Whoops.

Here are some that are heavypoultry- beause people will hate that some of these included swine:

• Svihus (2014, updated reviews cited through 2020s) – “Function of the digestive system in poultry” → very clear on pre-caecal digestion being primary
• Ravindran (2013, 2021 updates) – nutrient digestion and absorption in poultry → reinforces small intestine as main site of nutrient uptake
• Józefiak et al. (2020) – gut microbiota and fermentation in poultry → confirms caecal SCFA production but secondary nutritional role
• Stanley et al. (2014–2016 onward) – poultry microbiome work → shows variability and performance links without redefining hierarchy.

and this time- I can spell.

 

[Molpet]

Blah! sory it took me so long- Im talking into my computer and parrots are screaming in the background, but here it goes-

Newer work using sequencing and metabolomics (e.g., Kers et al., 2018; Józefiakk et al., 2020; more recent Frontiers and Poultry Science reviews through 2023–2025) has only reinforrced that they host the most diverse microbial populations and produce SCFAs like butyrate, which support gut health.

But the key clarification — and this is where more recent literature sharpens the older papers — is that:

They are the main fermentation site… not the main nutrition site.

That’s why newer reviews (Jha & Berrocoso 2015; Kierończyk et al. 2022; recent Poultry Science reviews) frame the caeca as:

• a secondary fermentation system
• a microbiome modulation hub
• more influential when diets are low quality, high fiber, or poorly digestible

Which actually lines up perfectly with the older studies you quoted — especially the ones showing benefits under protein-deficient or poorly digestible diets.

So the takeaway hasn’t changed — it’s just clearer now: The worse the diet, the more the caeca matter.

And that’s really the point in the fermented feed discussion. If you’re feeding a balanced commercial ration, the bird is already designed to extract what it needs before the caeca ever get involved (in theory for formulated diets). Fermenting doesn’t “unlock” some hidden system — it just shifts microbial activity earlier, often less predictably.

If you’re feeding whole grains, fiber-heavy inputs, or marginal diets, then yes — the caeca become more relevant. But that’s not because fermentation is required… it’s because the bird is compensating- of course this is just the opinion of a few in the newer studies.

But they’re also not saying the caeca run the show — they’re saying:
the caeca matter most when the bird is dealing with things it couldn’t digest earlier.

Edit: I have a pHd, but a professional at typos. Whoops.

Usually I post links to studies I quote.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Usually I post links to studies I quote.

I just dont have the bandwidth this time.

I’m literally knee-deep in guests and prepping for a seminar tomorrow with visiting veterinarians accross the globe, prepping for a international trip for a death of a family member, so this was more of a “brain dump from notes” than a formal citation post. I had most of it handwritten and summarized from things I’ve read over time. - that was requested I dig up. I mean jeez.

If you’re interested, the papers are easy enough to find — poultry digestion, caecal fermentation. Google will get you there faster than I can right now.

That said — you’re absolutely welcome to take it, leave it, or dig into it further. No pressure either way. Unsubscribing from this sa this entire thread turned nasty for no reason. I use this site as a outlet to distract- I guess i was wrong.