Holo-analysis of the effects of xylo-oligosaccharides on broiler chicken performance

1. Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) stimulate proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens. This results in enhanced utilisation of dietary non-starch polysaccharides and increased production of valuable short-chain fatty acids. However, these positive effects do not always translate into improved bird productive performance, with inconsistent performance responses observed between bird trials.2. A holo-analysis was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing XOS into broiler diets on bird feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion and mortality. This was done by comparing the XOS supplemented treatment to the control treatment. A total of 53 studies which met the criteria for inclusion were used in the analysis.3. The results showed that XOS had a notable positive impact on bird mortality; XOS reduced mortality by 0.69% for every 1% increment in the control group. XOS supplementation induced a positive effect on the feed conversion ratio (FCR). However, the efficacy of XOS at improving FCR was dependent on the efficiency of the control group (performance of the flock), and the concentration of total arabinoxylan, protein and phytase in the diet. There were insufficient data points to predict the effect of XOS on body weight and feed intake.4. In conclusion, the holo-analysis revealed that supplementing XOS to broiler chicken diets reduces bird mortality. XOS can also improve FCR, but the scale of response is dependent on the diet composition and control flock performance. Additional studies are required to confirm the effects of XOS on body weight and feed intake.