{"id":6116,"date":"2021-09-06T13:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T11:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvetslab.com\/?p=6116"},"modified":"2021-09-17T12:44:39","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T10:44:39","slug":"fats-and-oils-in-poultry-nutrition-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deltalabs.online\/en\/fats-and-oils-in-poultry-nutrition-2\/","title":{"rendered":"FATS AND OILS IN POULTRY NUTRITION"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The role of fats in poultry feeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The term fat or oil is used as a synonym for lipids in human and animal nutrition. It refers to the triglycerides with different fatty acids profiles<\/strong>, which are the nutrient with the highest energy content <\/strong>in the diet (Bai\u00e3o and Lara 2005).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from representing one of the main energy sources, fats improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and palatability, and reduce the speed of the gut transit<\/strong>, increasing the time to absorb nutrients (Bai\u00e3o and Lara 2005). Fat also supplies fatty acids<\/strong> considered essential components for the organism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In poultry nutrition, fat concentration in the diet has an impact on the amount of fat in the carcass. <\/strong>Therefore, fat levels are to be considered in feed formulation, as consumers would rather eat leaner meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Types of fat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fat used for feed can have four different origins: recycled fat from the same species, mixtures of fat from different species, vegetal oils and soapstocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fat from the same species, recycled at slaughter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These fats may also come from the same farm. Antioxidants<\/strong>, such as BHT or BHA, are added to the fats in each recycling process <\/strong>to prevent oxidation. These products cannot be metabolized <\/strong>and accumulate in the animals\u2019 fat<\/strong> cycle after cycle until they impair the liver function. That is why it is essential to evaluate the concentration of antioxidants <\/strong>to avoid toxic levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mix of fats from different species<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fatty acids profile<\/strong> needs to be considered in each mixture, since it will probably differ form the species\u2019 requirements. The energy value of these products will vary greatly, as it depends on the length of the fatty acids chain and their unsaturation degree <\/strong>(Blas et al. 2019). <\/strong>Besides, linoleic acid requirements need to be considered, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vegetal oils<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vegetal fats comprise different types of oils with higher (sunflower, corn or soy) or  lower (olive, palm, coconut) unsaturation degree <\/strong>(Blas et al. 2019). Palm oil is one of the most used in poultry, but it easily acidifies and oxidates. Vegetal oils are very common in the European Union <\/strong>(where the use of ingredients of animal origin is prohibited) and countries that produce oils<\/strong>. The fatty acids profile varies greatly depending on the origin<\/strong>, for example, sunflower oil contains high amounts of linoleic acid (63 in % of true fat), while soybean oil has low levels (20.5 in % of true fat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soapstocks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soapstocks are by-products of the vegetal oil industry. They are obtained after refining waste oil to separate triglycerides from free fatty acids, which are responsible from its acidity. These products are less digestible in monogastric animals <\/strong>and, therefore, their energy value is lower that that of fats and oils. Another disadvantage of soapstocks is that, during the refining process, toxic substances such as sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid<\/strong>, are used and they can be dangerous in case they remain in soapstocks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips to formulate with the recommended fat levels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fat in poultry diets has different functions depending on the inclusion rate. These functions need to be considered to avoid fatness in the carcass and other problems derived from excessive fat levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n