Brewers Condensed Solubles Used as a Feedstuff in Broiler Diets

Three feeding experiments, each involving 300 1-day-old male broilers, were conducted to determine the effects of graded levels of brewers condensed solubles (BCS) on growth, feed efficiency, yield, and organoleptic factors. The BCS was incorporated into diets containing corn and soybean meal at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% levels (wet basis). All diets were formulated to meet the NRC (1984) nutrient requirements. Seven samples of BCS were found to contain an average 45.81% DM, 6.71% CP, 1.96% ash, 1.37% ether extract, 4,925 kcal gross energy/kg, 3,857 kcal MEn/kg, and 4,721 kcal TMEn/kg on a DM basis. Broiler chicks compensated for the moisture in the feed by consuming more and thus achieved similar levels of DM intake from all diets in Experiment 2, but not Experiment 1. Dietary levels of 40 and 50% BCS reduced (P < .05) growth when compared with the control diet in Experiment 1, but not in Experiment 2. Feeding diets containing 40 and 50% BCS inclusion resulted in a lower (P < .05) gain:feed ratio when compared with the control diet in Experiment 2. Total carcass weights (42 days) were unaffected for birds fed 10, 20, 40, and 50% BCS inclusion when compared with the control diet. Triangle test data for flavor evaluations indicated that there were no detectable differences (P > .05) in flavor between broilers fed BCS and those fed the control diet. Brewers condensed solubles can serve as a satisfactory feed ingredient at a level of 30% in broiler starter diets.