March 7, 2007

Wet sorghum distiller's grains for cattle
 

Wet sorghum distiller's grains can be fed in a steam-flaked corn ration for cattle without affecting efficiencies, according to new research.

Two four-month cattle with yearling heifers were tested by the Texas Experiment Station on the feeding value of wet sorghum distiller's grains plus solubles. Ruminant nutritionist Dr Mike Brown said this has been used to determine what the trade-off is in substituting wet distiller's grains for steam-flaked corn and cottonseed meal.

Brown also said there hadn't been any previous studies to assess the value of the fat within the distiller's grains.

The 400 cattle in the trial were given a steam-flaked corn diet with no wet distiller's grains, or a diet with 15 percent of the ration dry matter as wet sorghum distiller's grains. The distiller's grains replaced a combination of 35 percent cottonseed meal and 65 percent steam-flaked corn. Yellow grease was added to the steam-flaked corn diets as a fat source because the distiller's grains have a higher fat content than the original grain The energy-dense fat helps tie the ration together, making it less dusty.

Within the study, heifers receiving the wet distiller's grains and solubles ate about 5 percent more and gained about 5 percent more, so the feed efficiency was the same in comparison to those that did not receive it, Brown said.

The experiment also disclosed that 1.5 percent fat is to be added with the distiller's grains to achieve the feed efficiency similar to a steam-flaked corn diet with 3 percent fat.

The net energy value for gain of the distiller's grain based on animal performance was 80 percent of that used for steam-flaking corn, Brown said. Those numbers determine what the exchange is, or what the nutritive values are for competing ingredients.

In addition, the distiller's grains rations were wetter and dense than those without distiller's grains. The data suggests a feedlot would need to deliver 10 percent more feed if feed trucks are filled to the same volume or 23 percent more if feed trucks are filled to the same total weight.

The researchers also are looking at potential effects on ammonia emissions and other environmental and animal health concerns.

Brown said there were not any adverse consequences at the feeding rate of distiller's but he emphasised environmental data is being analysed.