From Beer to Eggs: Can Brewery Spent Grain Feed Chickens?

This is Edith, she lays amazing eggs.

Many breweries provide spent grain to local farmers, which in turn are given to their livestock for feed. Can this affect the quality of the eggs?

TLDR: Brewery dried grain in chicken feed could be a cost-effective option for farmers, but may reduce egg production.

• Scientists studied replacing soybean meal in chicken feed with brewery dried grain in Ethiopia.

• They used 150 Bovans brown layers divided into five groups with varying brewery dried grain levels.

• Increasing brewery dried grain decreased egg production, but up to 26% was economically profitable.

• Egg quality was not consistently affected, except yolk color score decreased with more brewery dried grain.

A review of Effect of replacing soybean meal with brewery dried grain on feed intake, egg production and egg quality parameters of Bovans brown chickens.

Breweries produce more than just beer - they also generate a significant amount of spent grain, which is a byproduct of the brewing process. Many breweries send it to farmers as a source of animal feed. In fact, spent grain is one of the most commonly used byproducts of the brewing industry, and it has been shown to have nutritional benefits for livestock.

Recently, a study conducted in Ethiopia investigated whether spent grain, specifically brewery dried grain, could be used to replace soybean meal in chicken feed without negatively affecting egg production or quality.

The researchers used 150 Bovans brown layers, which are a type of chicken known for laying a lot of eggs. They divided the chickens into five groups, and each group was given a different amount of brewery dried grain in their feed: 0%, 6.5%, 13%, 19.5%, or 26%. They monitored the chickens for 12 weeks, and recorded data on their feed intake, egg weight, egg number, and egg quality.

The results showed that as the amount of brewery dried grain in the chickens' feed increased, their egg production decreased. However, including up to 26% brewery dried grain in the feed was economically profitable. Egg quality was not consistently affected, except for the yolk color score, which decreased with increasing levels of brewery dried grain.

Overall, the study suggests that it is possible to replace some soybean meal in chicken feed with brewery dried grain, but it may have an impact on egg production. However, this could be a cost-effective option for farmers.

Zelalem, T., Nurfeta, A., & Melesse, A. (2023). Effect of replacing soybean meal with brewery dried grain on feed intake, egg production and egg quality parameters of Bovans brown chickens. Journal of Science and Development, 11(1), 26-35.