A project assessing the best cultivation methods for growing seaweed to feed to egg laying hens is among several new innovative projects being supported by CIEL (Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock).
The seaweed project is being run by a new company called Seaweed Generation. It will explore different cultivation methods for different species of seaweed, while also assessing the palatability for feeding the seaweed to egg laying hens.
Nutrient analysis of the content of the seaweeds will be undertaken by University of Stirling and prepared dried seaweeds fed to a number of egg laying hens to test their response to the addition of seaweeds in their diet.
“CIEL works collaboratively across the agrifood sector, encouraging knowledge exchange while utilising the academic expertise that underpins the Centre’s network. Bringing agrifood and aquaculture together is one of the main goals of this work,” said Martin Sutcliffe, CIEL’s aquaculture specialist.
“These are ‘seed’ projects designed to be developed further in the future, helping to drive the industry forward.”