Abstract

Fiber is one of the essential nutrients for broiler chickens. This meta-analysis was carried out to investigate the impacts of fiber fraction ratio on broiler chickens growth performance, digestive characteristics, and nutritional digestibility. The database was compiled from 15 publications reports on the addition of fiber sources in broilers feed. To analyze the effect of acid detergent fiber (ADF) / neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio, the mixed model technique was utilized, with ADF/NDF ratio in the feed as a fixed effect and the experiment as a random effect. The ADF/NDF ratio in the feed had no effect on average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed per gain ratio in this research. Moreover, a decrease in ADF/NDF ratio in broiler chicken feed increased the relative weight of the gizzard. The relative weight and length of the small intestine and cecum were not affected by the ADF/NDF ratio in the feed. The ADF/NDF ratio in feed enhanced ileal digestibility and total tract apparent retention of most nutrients. The ADF/NDF ratio in the feed had no effect on the jejunal morphology. The minimum ADF/NDF ratio of 0.37 in the feed led to the maximum growth performance, digestive tract development, and optimal nutrient digestibility. In conclusion, controlling the ratio of fiber fraction in broiler chickens feed can improve broiler performance in the non-antibiotic growth promoters era. © 2022