Researchers feed pigs, chickens high-protein fungus grown on ethanol leftovers

Phys.org
August 14, 2012

Initial studies show a fungus grown in the leftovers of ethanol production could be a good energy feed for pigs and chickens.

In separate feeding trials, nursery pigs and chickens have eaten high-protein fungi that Hans van Leeuwen and other Iowa State University researchers have produced in a pilot plant that converts ethanol leftovers into food-grade fungi. The production process also cleans some of the water used to produce ethanol, boosting the amount of water that can be recycled back into biofuel production and saving energy on water cleanup and co-product recovery.

So far in the feeding trials, researchers have found pig performance wasn’t impacted when dried fungi were substituted for corn or soybean meal, said Nicholas Gabler, an assistant professor of animal science. Researchers are still studying the effects of the feed on amino acid availability, tissue growth, and intestinal health.

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Nevada researchers turn chicken feather meal into fuel and better food

Biofuels Digest
March 24, 2010

In Nevada, researchers at the Renewable Energy Center at the University of Nevada, Reno have developed a technique to convert the 12 percent fat content in chicken feather meal to biodiesel. Typically, chicken feather meal is used as a fertilizer or as a low-grade animal feed.

After fat extraction and biodiesel conversion, the remaining meal has been upgraded in nutrient or fertilizer value, as well as recovering the value of the biodiesel. The research team determined that 153 Mgy of biodiesel could be made in the US from this source, and up to 593 Mgy globally.

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Applying science to chicken feed

BBC News
Page last updated at 16:19 GMT, Monday, 2 November 2009
By Martin Cassidy Rural affairs correspondent

The scientists say chickens find the feed appetising

Northern Ireland scientists have developed a new type of "high energy" chicken feed which uses the principal by-product of biodiesel production.

Biodiesel is diesel fuel made using vegetable oil or animal fat.

Its main by-product is glycerol - a thick oily substance rich in carbohydrates which is already used as a solvent and sweetener in several foods and drinks.

After carrying out a series of trials, scientists at Northern Ireland's Agri Food Biosciences Institute conclude that glycerol from biodiesel production has proved itself a more than useful chicken feed.
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