A Georgian farm producing milk fed cows with chicken droppings

Kvarlis Bagi, one of the largest milk production farms in Georgia, has been feeding chicken manure to cows for several years. The company's milk is also used by large companies — Sante, Soplis Nobati, Rdzis Laboratory and Agrohub.

This happened in 2018-2019, but it became known only now.

Quarlis Bugs confirmed that in 2018-2019 they used processed chicken manure as an additive, as a "high-quality protein". They say that in this way they introduced the "Israeli practice", observing high international standards.

The company attracted attention when in December 2024 it sued 4.7 million lari from the chicken producer Chirina, which supplied it with about 2.7 thousand tons of untreated manure. After four years of proceedings, the court confirmed that it was the fault of Chirin that 200 cows died at Quarlis Baga. It was found that their milk samples contained the antibiotic tetracycline. This drug is not included in the list of banned in Georgia.

"As soon as traces of antibiotics were found, we launched an investigation and, having received the conclusion of independent laboratories confirming the presence of antibiotics in Chirina products, in 2019 cooperation with Chirina was terminated, and chicken waste was no longer used in the diet," the company said in a statement.