Brewing by-products: their use as animal feeds.
Abstract: Brewers grains, a by-product of beer production, are often used as a livestock feed. Because brewers grains provide protein, fiber, and energy, they can be useful in a variety of diets. Protein in brewers grains can meet a significant portion of supplemental protein requirements; in addition, they provide fiber and needed bulk in the diets of ruminants and horses. Brewers grains and other brewers by-products have also been fed to pigs, sheep, and poultry. Currently, the primary market for wet brewers grains is as a dairy cattle feed; however, some may be fed to beef cattle in feedlots. Brewers grains have historically been marketed wet or dry, but wet brewers grains currently make up the majority of the marketed product. Brewers grains provide protein, energy, and fiber in livestock diets, but product variability can influence their utilization and necessitate a testing program to determine nutrient content.
Publication Date: 2002-09-19 PubMed ID: 12235659DOI: 10.1016/s0749-0720(02)00016-6Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research investigates the benefits of using brewing by-products, mainly brewers grains, as livestock feed due to its protein, fiber, and energy content.
Overview
In this research, the authors explore the potential uses of brewers grains, a by-product from beer production, as a component in animal feeds. They highlight its nutritional content including protein, fiber and energy which can fulfill an animal’s dietary requirements. It is noted that the bulk these grains provide can be especially beneficial for ruminants and horses. The study also covers the use of brewers grains to feed pigs, sheep, and poultry.
Brewers Grains as a Livestock Feed
- Brewers grains are commonly employed as livestock feed because they are rich in protein, fiber, and energy, fulfilling various dietary needs.
- Ruminants like cows and horses particularly benefit from the intake of brewers grains as their diet needs a decent bulk, which these grains provide.
- The research shows that breweries have started to exploit this by-product as feed for different animals including pigs, sheep, and poultry.
Current Market for Brewers Grains
- The wet variety of brewers grains is primarily used as dairy cattle feed, with some also used in beef cattle feedlots.
- Historically, brewers grains have been marketed in both wet and dry forms. However, the wet form takes up the larger share in the market at present.
Necessity of Nutrient Testing
- The use of brewers grains as livestock feed, though nutrient-rich, is not without challenges. Product variability is a significant issue that may affect their utilization in animal diets.
- As per the research, this variability necessitates a consistent testing program that can establish the exact nutrient content in these grains. This way, feeding schedules can be adjusted accordingly to maintain balanced dietary intake for the animals.
Cite This Article
APA
Westendorf ML, Wohlt JE.
(2002).
Brewing by-products: their use as animal feeds.
Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract, 18(2), 233-252.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-0720(02)00016-6 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cook College, State University of New Jersey-Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. westendorf@aesop.rutgers.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed / standards
- Animals
- Cattle
- Dietary Fiber / administration & dosage
- Dietary Fiber / metabolism
- Dietary Proteins / administration & dosage
- Dietary Proteins / metabolism
- Edible Grain
- Fermentation
- Horses
- Nitrogen / analysis
- Nitrogen / metabolism
- Poultry
- Rumen / metabolism
- Swine
- Yeast, Dried / administration & dosage
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Helmy M, Elhalis H, Liu Y, Chow Y, Selvarajoo K. Perspective: Multiomics and Machine Learning Help Unleash the Alternative Food Potential of Microalgae.. Adv Nutr 2023 Jan;14(1):1-11.
- Terefe G, Kitaw G, Dejene M, Fekadu D, Kihalew A, Mekonnen B, Walelgne M. Dairy farmer's perception on feeding, conservation, and constraints of brewery by-products utilization in selected districts of Ethiopia.. Heliyon 2023 Jan;9(1):e12769.
- Wu Y, Wang J, Jia M, Huang S, Cao Y, Yao T, Li J, Yang Y, Gu X. Clostridium autoethanogenum protein inclusion in the diet for broiler: Enhancement of growth performance, lipid metabolism, and gut microbiota.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:1028792.
- Killerby MA, Almeida STR, Hollandsworth R, Guimaraes BC, Leon-Tinoco A, Perkins LB, Henry D, Schwartz TJ, Romero JJ. Effect of chemical and biological preservatives and ensiling stage on the dry matter loss, nutritional value, microbial counts, and ruminal in vitro gas production kinetics of wet brewer's grain silage.. J Anim Sci 2022 May 1;100(5).
- Dong H, Sousa LDC, Ubanwa B, Jones AD, Balan V. A New Method to Overcome Carboxyamide Formation During AFEX Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass.. Front Chem 2021;9:826625.
- Lee WH, Ahmadi F, Kim YI, Park JM, Kwak WS. Effects of feeding sodium metabisulfite-treated fruit and vegetable discards to Hanwoo heifers and cows.. Anim Biosci 2022 Mar;35(3):410-421.
- Bravi E, Francesco G, Sileoni V, Perretti G, Galgano F, Marconi O. Brewing By-Product Upcycling Potential: Nutritionally Valuable Compounds and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation.. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021 Jan 22;10(2).
- Lv J, Fang X, Feng G, Zhang G, Zhao C, Zhang Y, Li Y. Effects of Sodium Formate and Calcium Propionate Additives on the Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of Wet Brewers Grains after Short-Term Storage.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Sep 9;10(9).
- Chia SY, Tanga CM, Osuga IM, Mohamed SA, Khamis FM, Salifu D, Sevgan S, Fiaboe KKM, Niassy S, van Loon JJA, Dicke M, Ekesi S. Effects of waste stream combinations from brewing industry on performance of Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae).. PeerJ 2018;6:e5885.
- Mukasafari MA, Ambula MK, Karege C, King'ori AM. Effects of substituting sow and weaner meal with brewers' spent grains on the performance of growing pigs in Rwanda.. Trop Anim Health Prod 2018 Feb;50(2):393-398.
- Hassan AS, Houston K, Lahnstein J, Shirley N, Schwerdt JG, Gidley MJ, Waugh R, Little A, Burton RA. A Genome Wide Association Study of arabinoxylan content in 2-row spring barley grain.. PLoS One 2017;12(8):e0182537.
- Halter MC, Zahn JA. Degradation and half-life of DNA present in biomass from a genetically-modified organism during land application.. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2017 Feb;44(2):213-220.
- Wang B, Luo Y, Myung KH, Liu JX. Effects of Storage Duration and Temperature on the Chemical Composition, Microorganism Density, and In vitro Rumen Fermentation of Wet Brewers Grains.. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2014 Jun;27(6):832-40.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
