Evaluation of Wet and Dry Distillers Grains and Wet and Dry Corn Gluten Feeds for Ruminants

Abstract

Eight trials were conducted to evaluate wet and dry distillers grains (WDG and DDG) and wet and dry corn gluten feeds (WCGF and DCGF) as feed sources for cattle and sheep. Data from in situ trial 1 indicated that dry matter (DM) of WCGF and DCGF disappeared at a faster rate (P<.05) than that of WDG or DDG. In trial 2, lambs fed WDG or DDG had similar digestibilities of nitrogen (N), DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). In trial 3, no significant differences were noted among diets in N digestibility, but digestibility of acid detergent fiber (ADF) of diets containing DCGF was depressed (P<.05) compared with that of WCGF- and soybean meal-supplemented diets. Ten rumen-cannulated sheep were used to measure ruminal pH, volatile fatty acid concentrations and ruminal dilution rates when animals were fed diets containing 0, 35 or 70% DCGF or WCGF (trial 4). Sheep fed WCGF had higher (P<.05) ruminal pH and acetate:propionate ratios at 3 h postfeeding than did those fed DCGF. Steers fed DDG (trial 6) had dramatically improved (P<.05) performance compared with steers fed soybean meal-corn silage growing diets. Steers fed WCGF (trials 6 and 7) supported similar daily gains but comsumed less (P<.10, trial 6; P<.05, trial 7) feed and had lower (P<.05) feed:gain ratios than did those fed DCGF. Steers fed diets containing 50, 70 or 90% WCGF (trial 8) grew faster and consumed more feed, on average, than did steers fed a 90% concentrate diet. Results (trials 5, 7 and 8) indicate that WDG, WCGF and DCGF can be fed at levels of at least 50% of diet DM and still maintain performance comparable with that of steers fed corn-based finishing diets.