By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The availability of distillers grains (DG) created with the production of ethanol has created a “paradigm shift” in the science of animal nutrition, said Bruce Babcock, a professor of economics and director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University.

Babcock teamed with eight other educators to produce an online handbook on livestock nutrition and the use of DG, available in December.

“The inclusion of 40 to 50 percent distillers grains increases feed efficiency in finishing cattle relative to a corn-based diet with less acidosis. Cattle performance is better on distillers grains than a corn diet with protein concentrate,” he said, adding that getting energy from high protein feed can lead to acidosis.

“You don’t need high-quality forage. Just mix it with cornstalks or low-quality forage and it costs less.”

DG fed to U.S. beef cattle is steadily rising, and represented 8 percent of total grains fed in 2007.

In pork, the digestible energy in DG is about the same as corn. Studies have shown no negative effects of feeding up to 50 percent of dry DG to gestating sows or 30 percent to lactating sows.
“It could go higher, but we haven’t done trials,” Babcock said.
Weanling pigs can be fed up to 25-30 percent if started after two to three weeks of age.

In finisher hogs, there have been no adverse impacts on feed efficiency with DG rates up to 30 percent if the claimed amount of lysine is present. Carcass quality is not affected except for belly firmness, due to large quantities of unsaturated lipids. One practice is to not feed DG in the three to four weeks prior to slaughter.

Babcock said the use of DDGS (with solubles) for hogs is much less than is possible because of the concern about belly fat.

For laying hens, when ration is balanced on digestible amino acids rather than a total amino acid basis, then high inclusion rates (up to 50 percent) are possible but may result in fewer larger eggs.
Inclusion rates of between 5-20 percent are typical with Midwest egg producers. Limits are based on economics rather than performance.
For broilers and turkeys, trials have shown poor performance at modest inclusion rates typically traced to amino acid deficiencies. A rate of lower than 10 percent is recommended if ration is balanced on total amino acids rather than digestible amino acids.

DGs replace starch, not forage, in rations of lactating dairy cattle. Milk production is equal to or greater with DGs than with a straight corn diet, and milk quality is unaffected at inclusion rates up to 40 percent.

“Most dairies that use distillers grains include 20 to 25 percent dry matter of ration as distillers grains, replacing concentrate and a large amount of corn,” Babcock said. “It’s a good value for dairy cattle.”

Consistency and predictability in DGs are crucial for producers to utilize them and to build confidence in the product. The consistency is improving and the nutrition knowledge is growing, he said. Publishing the nutrient content on DG coming out of the plant is important.

“You have to know what is in the product to be confident to feed it,” he said.

To stay informed on the use of distillers grains, visit www.ddgs.umn.edu