In the media | Project news Feed trials with algae for broilers and laying hens at ILVO

Can chickens, and by extension their derived products (meat or eggs) benefit from the addition of algae to their feed? The ValgOrize project is taking a zero-waste approach to meeting the goal of sustainably produced, tasty and high-quality algae for human consumption. To valorize the algae by-products, ILVO researchers are therefore studying whether they can be included as an ingredient in chicken feed. The preliminary results seems promising; not only do many types of algae possess high protein levels, they could also be beneficial to the fatty acid and amino acid composition of the eggs, and even influence the color of the yolk. “But amino and fatty acid composition, feed digestibility, as well as flavor of the end product and other aspects need to be studied before we can introduce this as a standard practice”, says Johan De Boever, feed evaluation expert at ILVO. “That’s why the by-products from the ValgOrize food-related studies are also being studied.”

ILVO conducts algae feeding trials on broilers and laying hens for the first time