Citrus Co-Products in Ruminants Feeds: A Review

The generation of coproducts continues at an accelerating pace, driven by population growth. Many of these coproducts can be included in ruminant feed, which has the ability to transform them into good quality animal protein, and also help to reduce the disposal of undesirable residues to the environment. One of the coproducts with potential use in animal feed, the citrus pulp, represents residues of the crushing of the fruit to remove the juice. In this review, these coproducts are studied for their nutritional value, nutrient digestibility, and their influence on animal performance, in addition to ruminal characteristics. Due to its chemical composition, citrus pulp is widely used as an energetic component in the diet, replacing mainly maize, since these two have a similar energy value. In addition to increasing energy intake in the diet, citrus pulp has a greater capacity to assist in the maintenance of adequate ruminal performance compared to starchy cereals.