Effect of oligosaccharide-free soybean meal on true metabolizable energy and fiber digestion in adult roosters.

Adult Leghorn roosters were precision-fed 44% protein soybean meal (SBM) or 80% ethanol-extracted soybean meal (ESBM) to determine nutritional differences due to the removal of oligosaccharides. Dry-matter digestibility and TMEn as well as apparent hemicellulose and cellulose digestion were determined. The transit time, rate of passage, and pH of the cecal contents were also established with roosters that had consumed a .3% chromic-oxide diet that contained SBM or ESBM. The protein content of the SBM and the ESBM was 46.1 and 64.4%, respectively. The true-dry matter digestibility of SBM was 54%. The TMEn of the SBM on a dry-matter basis was 2,794 kcal per kg; and the apparent hemicellulose and cellulose digestibility was 9% and 0%, respectively. The true dry-matter digestibility of the ESBM was 67%. On a dry-matter basis, the TMEn of the ESBM was 3,368 kcal per kg; and the apparent hemicellulose and cellulose digestibility was 62% and 35%, respectively. Oligosaccharide digestion occurred mainly anterior to the ileo-cecal junction. Hemicellulose and cellulose digestion occurred predominantly in the lower gastrointestinal tract. The transit time for the ESBM diet was 115 min, compared to 71 min for the SBM diet. Based on a 16-h collection of excreta, the rate of passage was approximately 50% slower for the ESBM diet than for the SBM diet. The pH of the cecal contents from roosters consuming the ESBM diet was 7.21 versus 6.51 for the SBM diet.