feeding chickens spent brewing grains

[eggface]

Greetings,
Any home brewers out there who have experience feeding their chickens the spent grains after brewing? I'm generating about 20+ lbs of malt and barley grains today and want to feed it to my small flock of 6 birds. You think I need to let it dry out a little? or just throw it in and let them have at it? Probably not going to keep well since its so wet and prone to mold etc, so I'm inclined to feed them it ASAP. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Mahonri]

I don't know your answer. I suppose if it's edible, feed it before it spoils.

 

[eggface]

I threw a big tray of it in their run once it cooled a bit and they gobbled it up. Don't know what I'll do with all 20 lbs of it though, guess I need more chickens.

 

[hallerlake]

Freeze it in gallon containers. Thaw as needed or wanted.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Look at some of these threads for additional info if you wish:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/se...ardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=410210

 

[Ariel301]

I feed it to my birds. My neighbors and I can pick it up several tons at a time from a brewery nearby for nothing but the cost of gas to get there. We give them as much as they will eat. It's a good high protein feed, but if they are brewing different things, the content varies quite a bit, it seems. So it is between 15-30% protein usually, from our brewery. The downside is that it spoils fast (only an issue if you have huge amounts of it at a time like I do, but it makes wonderful compost too), attracts flies, and if you feed it wet in large portions, the birds will have really runny poop. We're happy with it though, it cuts down feed costs when we can get it.

 

[Xtina]

Yeah, they love it. Love. It.

 

[Kevin Freeheart]

Lots of people on my homebrew forum feed their chickens (and other livestock) spent grains after their all-grain batches.

 

[remadl700]

They love grains.. no issues unless they have mold on them which doesn't take long after brewing if they are left in a garbage can.

 

[Cargo]

The local brewery sends the spent grains out to the ranch they get the beef for their restaurant from. Yummy beer and beef!