Animal Feed
In land animal feed, guar presents another but equally useful set of advantages, from facilitating the manufacturing process to adding animal physiology. Its use covers poultry, swine, ruminant, and pet food products.
Key Role and Advantages of Guar in Animal Feed
Pellet Quality and Dust Control
- Fact: Similar to aqua feed, guar performs the function of a good binder in pelleted animal feed. It suppresses dust formation by as much as 50%, depending on the product formula.
- Benefit: This not only minimizes material loss but also enhances air quality in the mill and on the farm, to the benefit of human and animal respiratory health. It provides for an even pellet that animals are likely to accept.
Moisture Retention and Stabilization
- Fact: Guar is able to hold 50 times its own weight in water. This quality is utilized in semi-damp pet foods and canned foods, and also in liquid animal feed systems.
- Benefit: It enhances feed texture and palatability, extends shelf life by managing water activity, and avoids separation of ingredients in liquid products.
Gut Health and Digestive Aid
- Fact: Guar’s soluble fiber content and high viscosity retard transit of feed along the digestive tract.
- Monogastric Benefit (Poultry/Swine): This reticent transit time facilitates increased nutrient absorption in the small intestine. Prebiotic in nature, it maintains a healthy gut microbiome, which in turn supports firmer stools and fewer digestive upsets.
- Benefit for Ruminants: Although employed less frequently, it may contribute to stabilizing rumen fermentation and enhancing the quality of feed blends.
Guar Meal: A Value-Added Protein Source
- Fact: The by-product during guar extraction is guar meal (“Guar Korma” or “Guar Churi”) that has a high protein level (usually 45-55%).
- Benefit: This makes it very cost-effective and acceptable as a substitute for other expensive protein sources such as soybean meal. It is used extensively in dairy cattle feed to supplement milk production and in poultry and pig rations to supply needed amino acids.
