Winery Residue Could Function as Growth Promoter for Broiler Chickens

Cornell University published the results of research on using grape pomace— the grape skins, seeds, and stems that are winery byproducts— as an additive in broiler chicken diets. Project researchers found that including a half-percent of grape pomace in feed was nearly as effective as using the antibiotic growth promoter zinc bacitracin in terms of improving weight gain, feed efficiency, and gut health. The pomace feed additive also mitigated low-grade gut inflammation caused by the typical broiler chicken diet. The researchers say that changing to grape pomace in place of antibiotic growth promoters would reduce costs for farmers, aid wineries with waste disposal, and address concerns about increasing drug resistance problems.