Value of Wet Distillers Grains in a Cattle Diet without Corn

The potential of finishing cattle without grain was evaluated by comparing steers fed tub-ground grass hay and wet distillers grains (DGS) with steers fed a corn-based diet without DGS or the corn-based diet containing 40% DGS. The experiment was done with 24 head of 840 lb Angus steers fed each diet. The replacement of corn and protein supplement in the control diet with 40% wet DGS reduced feed intake and daily gain. The carcasses from steers fed DGS had reduced marbling and tended to have fewer Choice carcasses and lower carcass value determined with a marketing grid based on quality and yield grade. Substituting DGS for a portion of the corn and protein supplement in a corn-based diet resulted in reduced feed costs at all prices of corn evaluated ($2 to$4/bu). However the reduced feed cost of gain was more than offset by the decrease in carcass value. There was economic advantage of feeding the diet containing 40% DGS when corn price was greater then $3.50/bu and DGS was priced at 70$2 to $4/bu) or wet DGS (1, 0.85 or 0.70 times the price of corn on a dry matter basis)

Performance of Finishing Steers Fed Modified Wet Distillers Grains

iets containing on a dry basis 0, 24.9 and 47.0 percent modified wet distillers grains (DGS) for 186 days. Wet DGS replaced a portion of corn and supplement in a diet containing dry rolled corn, corn silage, tub-ground corn stalks and supplement. Steers were implanted initially with Component E-S and terminally with Component TE-S. Daily gains were not statistically different among diets. Steers fed 47% DGS consumed less feed and tended to be more efficient. There were no statistically significant differences in carcass weight, backfat, ribeye area, marbling score or yield grade, however feeding 47% DGS decreased the percent of carcasses grading USDA Choice from 83 to 72 and the percent of carcasses meeting Certified Angus Beef standards from 19 to 12. Establishing the value of each carcass using a grid pricing structure indicated the average carcass values of steers fed 24.9% or 47% DGS were respectively $7 more than or$38 less than the carcasses from the control steers. With price of DGS at 1.0, 0.75 and 0.50 times the cost of corn on a dry basis feed costs (/steer) were 181, 165 & 151 (corn, 2/bu) and 246, 237 & 218 (corn $3/bu) for 0, 24.9 and 47.0% DGS, respectively with DGS priced equal to corn; 181, 155 & 134 and 246, 222 & 192 with DGS priced 0.75 times the price of corn and 181, 146 & 117 and 246, 208 & 166 with DGS priced 0.50 times the price of corn. This analysis indicated that high levels of wet DGS should not be fed when DGS is priced equal to corn, but the high levels can be fed at all prices of corn when the DGS is priced at 75% or less than the price of corn

With Increasing Availability of Distillers Grains Will Phosphorus Be a Problem for Iowa Livestock Producers?

Retention and excretion of phosphorus were calculated using NRC equations for metabolism of phosphorus in beef cattle fed 0, 20 or 40% distillers grains (DGS). These estimates of phosphorus excretion were similar to quantities of phosphorus excretion measured in experiments with cattle. The predictions of phosphorus retention and excretion were used to estimate phosphorus balance of a 1000-head feedlot in which the cattle were fed 0, 20 or 40% DGS. Feeding 20 or 40% DGS increased phosphorus in the manure from the feedlot 60 and 120%, respectively. However there was not adequate phosphorus in the manure to replace soil phosphorus removed in the crops to produce the feeds for the cattle. The areas of land needed for manure disposal were calculated to be 470, 554 & 608; 756, 890 & 977 and 1,052, 1239 & 1,359 acres for crop rotations of continuous corn, corn-corn-soybeans and corn-soybeans when the cattle were fed 0, 20 or 40% DGS. These results indicate that feeding DGS does not innately cause an environmental problem, but will require each feedlot to develop manure management plans. Use of farm phosphorus balance seems to be a plausible approach to develop reliable manure management plans for feedlots feeding DGS

Evaluation of Rumen Boluses as an Electronic Identification System for Cattle in an Automated Data Collection System

The rumen bolus electronic animal identification system was evaluated in 120 feedlot steers during a 130 day observation period. Boluses were placed in the reticulum using a balling gun. A panel antenna was located inside (left side) of a hydrolytic restraining chute placed on load cells and connected to a Tru-Test scale indicator to display and store the electronic identification number and weight of the animal. Once displayed on the indicator the identification number and weight were stored in a file in the indicator which was later downloaded as an Excel file. Using Data/Sort in Excel the new data could easily be matched with animal Id numbers in an evolving file for the experiment. All of the boluses were retained in the animals and all remained functional. The system accurately recorded the information for 711 of 720 times the animals were weighed, or an accuracy of 98.75%

Feed Additives for Beef Cattle: Which, Why and When?

There are many feed addtives on the market today for cattle. And more are coming. The author discusses both the new and old additives and indicates those which provide consistent benefits to the cattle industry

The Effects of Direct-fed Microbials on Feedlot Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Finishing Steers Fed Wet Corn Gluten Feed

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of daily feeding a live microbial preparation containing live organisms fed to finishing cattle. Additions of live organisms to the rumen are thought to improve the fermentation and overall digestion. Three strains of a lactobacillus and a propionibacterium were studied in this experiment. The study was conducted with Angus steers with an average initial weight of 625 lbs and fed a finishing diet containing on a dry basis 30% wet corn gluten feed, 60% rolled corn, 8% chopped hay and 2% supplement for 174 days. Feeding the microbial product being marketed for feeding cattle improved daily gain and feed efficiency 2.2% and 1.1%, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant. The microbial preparation increased carcass weights 1.1% and tended to increase carcass fat. Use of different strains of lactobacillus with the propionibacterium did not improve performance or affect carcass grades. It is concluded that potential benefits of feeding the live microbial product may be somewhat less when a portion of the corn is replaced with corn gluten feed

Evaluation of Wet and Dry Distillers Grains with Solubles for Finishing Holstein Steers

One hundred ninety-two 430 lb Holstein steers were allotted to 32 pens and fed eight diets in a 299-day trial to evaluate the responses of feeding wet or dry distillers grains (DGS) to growing and finishing dairy steers. The dry rolled corn, corn silage and chopped grass hay diets were supplemented with urea, soybean meal, 10, 20 & 40% dry DGS and 10, 20, & 40% wet DGS. During the initial 91 days of the trial, representing a growing period, steers fed soybean meal or dry DGS gained faster than those fed the diet with urea. Feed cost of gain was reduced by feeding dry or wet DGS, but increased by feeding soybean meal. It was concluded that the calves were not gaining enough (3 lbs/d) to obtain a large response to increasing metabolizable protein above that provided by supplementing the basal diet with urea. Calves fed 40% wet DGS consumed less feed and had slower gains. During the entire trial, feeding wet or dry DGS did not affect performance except steers fed 40% wet DGS consumed less feed and had less gain, and steers fed 10% wet DGS consumed less feed with the same gain and improved feed efficiency. Except for the steers fed 40% wet DGS that had lighter carcasses, feeding wet or dry DGS did not affect carcass weight, area of ribeye, thickness of backfat, marbling, quality grades or yield grades. Value of the carcasses was not affected by feeding DGS when the value was based on grade and yield or a grid with premiums and discounts for quality and yield grades. Wet or dry DGS can be fed to dairy beef steers without affecting performance or carcass value. Depending on relative prices of DGS, corn and protein supplement, feeding DGS might reduce feed cost of gain

Performance of Finishing Steers Fed Low, Moderate and High Levels of Wet Distillers Grains

Two experiments were conducted with yearling steers and heifers to evaluate feeding two forms of wet distillers grains (DGS) at 0, 20, 40 and 60% of diet DM. Modified (52% DM) wet distillers grains (DGS) was fed in the first experiment and wet DGS (32% DM) was fed in the second. In each experiment 4 pens of steers and 4 pens of heifers (6 head per pen) were fed each level of DGS with DGS replacing a portion of corn and protein supplement in a control diet containing dry rolled corn, corn silage, tubground grass hay and supplement. Steers and heifers were implanted at the beginning of each experiment with Component TE-S and Component TE-H, respectively. Feeding 20% or 40% of diet DM as modified or wet DGS did not affect performance or carcass measurements of steers or heifers. Steers and heifers fed 60% DGS consumed less feed, gained less and when fed modified DGS were less efficient. However when fed wet DGS both steers and heifers fed 60% DGS were more efficient than cattle not fed DGS. Numerical marbling scores declined with increasing levels of DGS, but were not statistically different from the control cattle. Carcass ($/carcass) was less for cattle fed 60$2.00 to $4.00/bu) and prices for DGS (1.0, 0.85 and 0.7 times the cost of corn on a dry basis). Feeding 20% or 40% modified or wet DGS reduced feed cost of gain compared with control cattle at all prices of corn and DGS. Feeding 60% modified DGS did not result in lower feed costs until price of DGS was 0.7 times the price of corn. Feed cost were less when feeding 60% wet DGS at all prices of corn and DGS. The results of these experiments indicate that steers and heifers respond similarly to feeding low to high levels of modified or wet DGS and that depending upon price, high levels of DGS can be economically fed to cattle

Value of Modified Wet Distillers Grains in Cattle Diets without Corn

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate modified wet distillers grains (DGS) as a supplement for roughages. Wet DGS was superior to a mixture of corn and wet DGS as a supplement with tub-ground grass hay for growing steer calves in a 112-d study. Performance of steers fed the grass hay supplemented with DGS or the mixture of corn and DGS was superior to calves fed corn silage. However when DGS was priced the same as corn on a dry basis, cost of gain was less for steers fed corn silage. When DGS was prices at 75% or less the cost of corn, cost of gain was less for calves fed the hay and DGS. Only when DGS was prices at 50% the cost of corn and when cost of corn was above $3/bu was cost of gain less for calves fed hay and the mixture of corn and DGS compared to calves fed corn silage. In the second experiment steer calves weighing 690 lbs were fed a typical corn-based finishing diet for 186 days or a diet of tub-ground corn stalks supplemented with modified wet DGS for 210 days. Steers fed the stover-DGS diet did not gain as well as steers fed the corn-based diet and produced fewer USDA Choice grading carcasses (31$2 to $4/bu. Results of these two preliminary studies indicate that modified wet DGS is a suitable supplement for mid to lower quality roughages for feeding cattle and it is possible to produce acceptable grading beef without grain. For such programs to be financially successful the price of DGS relative to corn grain on a dry basis and final weight of the cattle are important considerations

Effects of Replacing Corn Grain and Urea With Condensed Corn Distillers Solubles on Performance and Carcass Value of Finishing Steers

Ninety-six yearling steers weighing 850 lbs were used in a study to evaluate condensed distillers solubles (CDS) for a dry mill corn processing plant as a replacement for a portion of the corn grain and supplemental nitrogen in a finishing ration supplemented with urea. Condensed distillers solubles were fed at 0%, 4%, 8% and 12% of ration dry matter in a 109-day experiment. Feeding CDS at these levels had no effect on performance of the cattle, carcass measurements or carcass value in a value-based grid. The calculated replacement value of CDS in this study was considerably less than observed in two previous experiments, likely due to experimental variation or possibly variability of CDS among processing plants. Based on the results of the three experiments, CDS has value as a feed for finishing cattle and its relative energy value is equal to or greater than corn grain. When justified based on cost of CDS compared with corn and protein supplement, CDS can be fed to finishing cattle without reducing performance or carcass value