Wheat co-products as alternative feed ingredients for livestock animals

Publication date: 16-07-2026
Extent: 42 pages

Contributions by: Elijah G. Kiarie, University of Guelph, Canada and North-West University, South Africa; and Youngji Rho, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Canada

Chapter synopsis:

This chapter explores the utility of wheat co-products as feed ingredients for farm animals. The review highlights chemical composition, nutritive value, practical feeding, and potential strategies for further exploitation. The co-products this chapter evaluates include, wheat bran, wheat middlings, and wheat distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The chapter also discusses specific animals and how well wheat co-products would interact with these animals when used as a feed source. These animals include pigs, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, cattle and small ruminants. Once current practices are established, the chapter examines potential improvements that could be made to wheat co-products that would allow them to become an even more reliable feed source. The improvements this chapter expands on use processing, fermentation and adding enzymes to adjust digestibility and nutrition in wheat co-products.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2025.0171.08