Use of Distillers Co - proDUCts in Diets feD to poUltry

Co-products from distillation of cereal grains for alcohol production have been available to poultry and livestock producers for many years. Although the co-products were considered better suited for ruminants because of their relatively high fiber content, Morrison (1954) suggested that chick diets could contain up to 7% or 8% distillers grains and that diets for laying hens could contain up to 10% distillers grains without affecting performance. No adverse effects on growth performance of broiler chicken or egg production of laying hens were detected when diets with up to 20% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from beveragealcohol production were fed (Matterson, Tlustohowicz, and Singsen, 1966; Waldroup et al., 1981), although the feed utilization of broilers tended to decrease when 25% corn DDGS was included in the diet (Waldroup et al., 1981). In addition to being a source of protein and energy, distillers grains were especially useful as a source of the water-soluble vitamins before chemical synthesis and commercialization of vitamins (Morrison, 1954; Matterson, Tlustohowicz, and Singsen, 1966).