Since winter is starting, it is the right time to think on protein and extreme power again. Supplementing your winter feeding program with distiller's grains or products made with distiller' grains has many advantages. However, there are some disadvantages that need to be considered before making feeding decisions.
Advantages of feeding distiller’s grains
In the case of ethanol production, corn undergoes fermentation where the starch is separated from the grain. Other nutrients, like the protein and fat content in corn grain itself are reduced to about a third of that value. Crude protein content of distiller's grain ranges from 25 to 35 percent which makes this feedingredient a good source of supplemental protein for winter feeding.
Distiller’s grains are usually fed to the diets as a protein source; however, it is valued at a level of energy equivalent or superior to corn. That's harvested and removed the starch from the grain so the energy is going to come from corn oil, digestible fiber, little bit of energy that really comes from crude protein. Distiller's grains have most of their energy in the form of digestible fiber instead of starch so they are less likely to disturb the rumen and cause acidosis compared to corn.
As per GMI Research, the Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) Market size reached USD 11.4 billion in 2024
Disadvantages of feeding distiller’s grains
Distiller's grain nutrient composition is not constant with time and across ethanol plants due to changes in processing within ethanol plants over the years and differences in production among ethanol plants. There is also additional variation as different levels of solubles that get reconstituted into the distiller's grains are added back.
The extent of this issue has received attention in the past, but I think it is still largely underappreciated by producers thinking about incorporating distiller's grains or other related products into winter feeding programs.
Ensure that water, distiller's grains or by-products, and all feedstuffs are sampled before feeding to the cattle. Feed testing becomes even more crucial in cases when sulfate levels are substantial, and distiller's grains should be checked regularly to keep total dietary sulfur below 0.4 percent of the dry matter and water source together.
Ranches with high molybdenum in forages can also be problematic when distiller's grains are fed to cattle. High sulfur often found in distiller's grains, and high molybdenum in forages can also bind copper further preventing absorption, increasing the risk of copper deficiency when feeding distiller's grains.
Summary
Distiller's grains and related products are a good protein, energy and phosphorus source for cattle in the winter, but before including them more in cattle diets producers need to gather info on their winter pastures like sulfate levels (both water supply and forages), molybdenum levels (forages).
