Replacing maize in laying hen diets with lower-cost by-products such as wheat bran and biscuit crumbs could reduce feed costs while maintaining productivity, according to researchers.
In a study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, scientists in Mozambique evaluated whether partially substituting maize with these alternative ingredients — combined with a probiotic — could improve both production and profitability in egg systems.
Maize is a staple ingredient in poultry feed but is increasingly under pressure from rising demand and competition with human food systems.Â
That creates cost and supply challenges for producers, particularly in lower-income regions where feed accounts for the majority of production costs.
Researchers say identifying cheaper, locally available alternatives is critical to maintaining profitability without compromising bird performance.
The team from Eduardo Mondlane University and the Agricultural Research Institute of Mozambique ran a 45-day feeding trial with 400 laying hens, comparing a standard maize-based diet with four alternatives.
In the test diets, 20% of maize meal was replaced with either wheat bran or biscuit crumbs — both common agro-industrial by-products. Some diets also included the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
The study measured both production metrics, such as laying rate and feed conversion, and economic outcomes including feed costs, profitability and break-even points.
Biscuit crumbs outperform
Results showed that replacing maize with biscuit crumbs delivered the strongest overall performance.
Birds fed biscuit crumb diets achieved higher laying rates — around 73% compared to 66% in the control — alongside improved feed conversion efficiency.
By comparison, wheat bran reduced laying rates when used alone, dropping to around 50%. However, adding the probiotic restored performance to levels similar to the standard diet.
Across all treatments, there were no significant differences in live weight, feed intake or survival, suggesting the alternative diets did not negatively affect overall bird health.
The biggest gains came on the economics side: Feed costs dropped sharply when maize was replaced, falling from around $0.55/kg in the control diet to $0.33/kg in both wheat bran and biscuit crumb diets.
That translated into lower production costs per egg — down to $0.03–0.04 compared to $0.05 in the maize-based system.
The researchers found profitability indices rose from about 35% in the control group to more than 60% in diets using biscuit crumbs and probiotics, with break-even points also significantly reduced.
Biscuit crumb diets delivered the highest returns, generating gross revenues of up to $10.39 per treatment group compared to $9.39 in the control.
Potential for lower-cost diets
While the study only ran for 45 days, and bird responses to probiotics can differ depending on dosage, bird age and diet composition, the researchers said partial replacement of maize with wheat bran or biscuit crumbs has the potential to deliver clear benefits to producers,
The approach could help reduce reliance on conventional feed ingredients while improving profitability, especially for small-scale producers, they added.
