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Using molasses to replace expensive corn in broiler feeds

As the forecast for cereal prices is to remain high, the search for alternative energy sources continues.

blackstrap-molasses
(Wikimedia Commons)

As the forecast for cereal prices is to remain high, the search for alternative energy sources continues.

Molasses is a raw material that abounds in areas that grow sugar beets and sugar cane for sugar extraction. It is a semi-viscous material that requires special handling, but most feed mills are already equipped to add molasses into their formulas for pigs and ruminants.

The suggestion to use molasses in broiler diets appear somewhat exotic to some nutritionists, but there is nothing new about such notion. The use of molasses in broiler diets has been researched for almost a century, with the latest publication appearing in 2019. So, the interest has always been there, but it was limited only around the regions that have easy access to this byproduct. Now, using imported molasses in broiler formulas is something that is discussed in other regions, too.