Chicory root fiber boosts farm animal gut health and yields
Wang H, Chou Y, Xing Y, Li E, Peng X
Soil Health
The chicory growing in your garden or the Jerusalem artichoke tubers you're about to harvest contain the same fibrous compound now being studied as a natural way to keep farm animals healthier without antibiotics.
Inulin is a fiber found in plants like chicory that animals can't digest directly, but the bacteria in their gut can. Those bacteria turn it into helpful compounds that strengthen the gut lining, calm inflammation, and boost the immune system. Scientists reviewed studies across chickens, pigs, and cattle and found specific feeding amounts, like 15 grams per kilogram of feed for laying hens, that reliably improved health and production.
Key Findings
Effective inulin doses vary by species: 15 g/kg for laying hens, 10 g/kg for broiler chickens, 5 g/kg for weaned piglets, and 20 g/kg for growing-finishing pigs and beef cattle.
Gut bacteria ferment inulin into short-chain fatty acids that activate specific receptors (GPR41, GPR43, GPR109A) to reduce inflammation and strengthen intestinal barriers.
Dairy cows given 200 g of inulin daily showed improved milk yield, milk composition, and changes in their rumen microbial community.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Inulin, a plant fiber found in chicory and similar root vegetables, helps livestock digest better, fight off diarrhea, and produce more milk and eggs when added to their feed at specific doses. Researchers reviewed dozens of studies to pin down how much inulin works best for chickens, pigs, and cattle.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Physiological Function of Inulin and Its Application in Livestock Production.
Inulin is a natural, plant-derived soluble dietary fibre that functions as an indigestible carbohydrate and acts as a prebiotic. Inulin is fermented by the gut microbiota into short-chain fatty aci...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Ancient Amazonian forests were planted and tended by Indigenous farmers
Forests and fruits we romanticize as wild — including many plants now in our kitchens and gardens — may exist in their current abundance precisely because an...
Common chicory is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia.