Spent grains from home brewing (beer) OK as scratch feed supplement?

[mmmooretx]

When I make 10 gallons of beer I have 20-40 lbs. of grain per batch I have been discarding, but am looking into a chicken coop of around 8 hens to eat it up. Now I will be feeding the normal supplement feed for laying hens, but I thought I could also feed them the spent grains. The brew process uses dried sprouted barley, mostly, that is cracked and in the brewing process the starch is converted to sugar and removed. However it leaves all of the protein so I thought it would be good for the hens. I will have to build a drying rack so I can extend the storage time while they eat it.
Does anyone see any issues with this?
Thanks in advance.
Mike

 

[Kelsie2290]

Seems to be pretty commonly done, you can buy it dried at the feed mills around here, use it as a protein supplement. A lot of people put it into plastic bags in whatever amount they feed at once and freeze it. There are a number of thread on it on BYC if you want to do a search, ie https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/501083/ok-to-feed-spent-grain-from-brewing-beer

 

[mmmooretx]

Kelsie2290,
Thanks again for the pointer, my searches will improve. I did scan the titles down 3-4 pages, but this site has monster sized data and I am reading day and night to learn, before I buy my hens....
Mike

 

[Arielle]

I know of a hog farmer in VT that feeeds it straightfom the brewery to the hogs-- you can check the contents for the basics like protein and calcium and such using the online feeds information. Sorry I don't have the link to it. IT is fairly high in p rotein compared to other grains.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Not sure if you've seen the Feedipedia website, it does have nice overview on spent grains including uses in poultry.
http://www.feedipedia.org/node/74

 

[mmmooretx]

Kelsie2290,
Thank you again I will look at it as soon as I get home from "Happy Hour Theapy" post work of course... ;-)

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Percheron chick]

it does make a nice treat that chickens love. It is high protein but it's a rather incomplete protein (doesn't have the correct combinations of proteins). It will spoil rather quickly so only put out about 1/2 gallon for 8 hens so they will clean it up and not fill up on it. Put the rest in ziploc bags and throw them in the freezer. They will help in the summer to keep them comfortable and producing.

Most hens like barley and wheat the most. Mine aren't too thrilled with hops.

 

[mmmooretx]

Yeah, I was not planning on the hops, but only thought the spent grains, rich in protein, would be a good augment to the girls,