Question

Does the feeding of beet pulp increase the volume of manure?

Answer

Total manure production is related to dry matter intake and digestibility of the diet.

Beet pulp is a good source of soluble fiber, with a large amount of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin, and a relatively low amount of lignin, which is indigestible fiber. These carbohydrates are easily fermented, leading to a high digestibility value (80%) compared to other fiber sources such as grass hay (40-60%).

This would suggest that total fecal output would decrease if more fibrous feedstuffs (high in acid detergent fiber and lignin) were replaced with beet pulp.