Feedstock makes a difference in feeding distiller's grains
When it comes to using distiller鈥檚 grains in finishing rations of High Plains cattle, a Texas AgriLife Research scientist says the type of grain used makes all the difference.
Dr. Jim MacDonald, AgriLife Research beef nutritionist at Amarillo, said there鈥檚 been some skepticism about using distiller鈥檚 grains in this region. Distiller鈥檚 grains are a by-product of ethanol processing that can be used for animal feed.
鈥淚 believe we can do it successfully, provided we have distiller鈥檚 grains that are equivalent in quality to those used in the North Plains states,鈥� he said.
Two years ago, MacDonald began investigating the dramatically different animal performance responses observed in the Northern Plains and Southern Plains, and to determine how to successfully incorporate distiller鈥檚 grains into this region鈥檚 finishing rations.
鈥淭here are two obvious differences in research conducted in those two regions,鈥� he said. 鈥淩esearchers in the Northern Plains tend to use dry-rolled corn, and in the Southern Plains, they use steam-flaked corn-based diets.鈥�
Additionally, researchers in Nebraska and other Northern Plains states utilized distiller鈥檚 grains derived from corn; whereas the southern research included distiller鈥檚 grains derived from sorghum, he said.
MacDonald conducted three performance trials, two using corn-based distiller鈥檚 grain shipped in from a Nebraska plant, and the third utilizing sorghum-derived distiller鈥檚 grains that were similar to those used in research previously conducted in this region.
鈥淥ur study in feeding sorghum distiller鈥檚 grain at 25 percent of dry matter, showed the energy value for that product was 73 percent of the value of steam-flaked corn,鈥� MacDonald said. 鈥淚n general, that fits with previously conducted research at Texas Tech and West Texas A&M.鈥�
Alternatively, he said, the research conducted with corn-derived distiller鈥檚 grains from Nebraska would suggest the energy value was roughly equivalent to steam-flaked corn, which agrees with the northern data where distiller鈥檚 grains were fed in steam-flaked diets.
鈥淪o what our observations are showing us is there are large variations in the energy value of distiller鈥檚 grains derived from different cereal grain sources, similar to the differences in energy values of the cereal grains themselves,鈥� MacDonald said.
There will be a place for all of the different types of distiller鈥檚 grains produced, but the producer needs to know what the energy value is and the product needs to be priced appropriately, he said.
鈥淎dditionally, our work with distiller鈥檚 grains in different corn processing methods would indicate producers are able to retain the energetic advantage of flaking corn in diets containing distiller鈥檚 grains,鈥� he said.
For decades, feed yards in the Southern Plains have flaked corn to increase the amount of energy, MacDonald said.
He said the question was, 鈥樷�滻f you add distiller鈥檚 grains to the diet, will there still be an advantage to flaking the corn?鈥� His research shows there is still an advantage.
MacDonald said another important thing for producers to understand is that distiller鈥檚 grains from each plant may be different, so it is important to have a relationship with the provider of distiller鈥檚 grains.
鈥淢ake sure they are willing to make you aware if they are making any changes to the process,鈥� he said.
Data is being developed by MacDonald and other researchers concerning the effects of changes in the distiller鈥檚 grain processing.
鈥淭he more they understand what goes on in that ethanol plant, the better chance they鈥檒l have of accurately valuing the product,鈥� he said. 鈥淐learly the most important question is what cereal grain is being used. But they also need to know about control measures for things like sulfur content and are the solubles being added back at a consistent rate.鈥�
Source: Texas A&M University
