Feeding Dried Distillers Grains to Hogs

Ron Plain, University of Missouri

Production of Ethanol and Dried Distiller Grains with Solubles

1 bushel of corn (56 lbs) will yield:

2.75 gallons of ethanol 17 lbs of DDGS

A 45 mil gal/yr plant generates:~ 400 tons of DDGS every day

Dry Milled Ethanol Production

Corn EthanolStillage

Thin StillageWet Distiller Grain

Wet Distiller Grain with Solubles

Condensed Distiller Solubles

DDGS

Wet Milled & Dry Milled Corn for Ethanol

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

90-91

92-93

94-95

96-97

98-99

00-01

02-03

04-05

06-07

08-09

10-11

Billion Bushels

Wet Dry

Source: PRX Blue Sky

Forecast

DDGS Production in the U.S.

2000 – 4.3 billion pounds

2006 – 25.5 billion pounds

2010 – 42.5 billion pounds

By comparison, U.S. hogs eat about 82 billion pounds of feed annually

Use of Dried Distiller Grains with Solubles

80% used in ruminant diets

10% exported

10% fed to non-ruminants

U.S. Ethanol Plants

5 bgy expanding to 8 bgy

Nutrient Composition (DM)

Item Corn SBM DDGS

Crude Protein, % 8-9 47-49 29-33

Crude Fat, % 4 3 8-12

Crude Fiber, % 2-3 10-11 5-10

ADF, % 3.1 10.6 15-185

DE, kcal/lb 1551 1782 1589-1836

Lysine, % 0.3 3 0.6-1.1

Phosphorus, % 0.3 0.7 0.4-1.0

Dried Distiller Grains with Solubles

Product variability – Nutrient Content Crude protein

23 to 30 %

Amino acid digestibility 17.7 to 74.4 %

Lysine content 0.59 to 0.89 %

Crude fat 3 to 12 %

Why the variation in nutrient concentrations?

Nutrient variability of the corn

Processing methods

Type of yeast used

Fermenting and distillation efficiency

Drying temperature and time

Amount of solubles blended

DDGS Product Variability

Variability impacts on: Nutritional value Palatability (feed intake)

Indicators of quality Color

Light golden to dark brown

Smell Sweet to smoky or burnt

Dried Distiller Grains with Solubles

Lower QualityLess Digestible

High QualityHighly Digestible

DDGS Nutritional Issues

Micotoxins: Any micotoxins (aflatoxin,

vomatoxin, etc) in corn are concentrated by dry milling

Only purchase DDGS from ethanol plants which check corn for micotoxins before milling

DDGS Nutritional Issues

Amino Acids: Imbalance of amino acids

(lysine, cystine and threonine)

Reduced amino acid digestibility

Add synthetic lysine if DDGS >10% of diet

Add synthetic threonine and tryptophan if DDGS >20% of diet

DDGS Nutritional Issues

Minerals Corn is 0.25% phosphorus which is

14% digestible by hogs

DDGS is 0.75% phosphorus which is 90% digestible

Add less dicalcium phosphate to hog diets containing DDGS

Less phosphorus in the manure

DDGS Nutritional Issues

High Fat Content (9-12%) Negatively impacts pork fat

quality and belly firmness

Significant problem if DDGS>20% of diet

DDGS Impact on Pork Fat

Belly Traits 0% 10% 20% 30%

Thickness, cm 3.15 3.00 2.84 2.71

Firmness score 27.3 24.4 25.1 21.3

Adj firmness score 25.9 23.8 25.4 22.4

Iodine number 66.8 68.6 70.6 72.0

DDGS Content of Feed

DDGS Nutritional Issues

High Fiber Content Valuable for ruminants

Low digestibility for hogs

Adds to volume of manure

DDGS Handling

Particle size

600 to 2,100 microns

Impacts Flowability

Pelletability

Storing DDGS

Limited Storage High in polyunsaturated fatty acids

Wet distillers

Summer – 7 days Winter – 3 to 4 weeks

Dry distillers (> 85 % DM)

Summer – 1 month Winter – 3 months

Dried Distiller Grains with Solubles

Health Considerations Low soluble fiber diets may reduce the proliferation of

pathogenic organisms in the GI tract (Hampson, 1999)

Illeitis or Lawsonia intracellularis

Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome

Fewer cases of: Acidosis Laminitis Liver abscesses

Feeding DDGS to Sows

DDGS during gestation & lactation

Slightly improves next pregnancy’s

Feed intake

Litter size

Weaning weight

Substitution Rule for Swine Rations

Add 200 lb of DDGS + 3 lb limestone

To replace:

177 lbs of corn

20 lbs soybean meal (44%)

6 lbs of dicalcium phosphate

Hog Growth Performance (63-268 pounds)

DDGS F/G ADFI ADG Car Wt

0% 2.47 5.63 2.28 208.86

10% 2.51 5.59 2.23 202.67

20%

30%

2.46

2.47

5.38

5.32

2.18

2.15

202.14

199.22

Source: University of Missouri feeding trials

Some other trials show no negative impact on animal performance for low levels of DDGS in diet

Economic Value of DDGS for Hogs (0% reduction in ADG)

Corn Price ($/bu) 150 175 200 225

2.00 89 92 94 97

2.50 105 108 110 113

3.00 121 123 126 128

3.50 137 139 142 144

Soybean Meal Price ($/ton)

DDGS values ($/ton) for various prices of corn and soybean meal

Economic Value of DDGS for Hogs (2% reduction in ADG)

Corn Price ($/bu) 150 175 200 225

2.00 83 86 89 91

2.50 100 102 105 107

3.00 116 118 121 123

3.50 132 134 137 139

Soybean Meal Price ($/ton)

DDGS values ($/ton) for various prices of corn and soybean meal

Economic Value of DDGS for Hogs (4% reduction in ADG)

Corn Price ($/bu) 150 175 200 225

2.00 78 80 83 85

2.50 94 96 99 102

3.00 110 113 115 118

3.50 126 129 132 134

Soybean Meal Price ($/ton)

DDGS values ($/ton) for various prices of corn and soybean meal

Recommended Inclusion Rates for DDGS in Swine Diets

Phase Start point Max

Nursery (> 15 lbs) 5% 25%

Grow-finish 10% 20%

Gestating sows 20% 50%

Lactating sows 5% 20%

Boars 20% 50%

Limitations

Synthetic amino acids needed if DDGS >10% of ration

Quality of pork fat impaired if DDGS >20% of ration

Not recommended for pigs <15 lbs

Sows may need adaptation period to high levels of DDGS

Summary

DDGS can effectively be used in swine diets

DDGS can negatively impact feed intake

DDGS quality is highly variable Producers should test samples or develop specification sheet with

the plant to properly formulate the ration

200 lbs DDGS plus 3 lbs of limestone replaces 177 lbs corn, 20 lbs SBM and 6 lbs dical

Questions?

Acknowledgements

This PowerPoint file was adapted by: Ron Plain, Ag Economist, U of Missouri

From a PowerPoint file originally developed by Marcia Shannon, Animal Scientist, U of Missouri

Summarizing a lot of fine research, especially by Jerry Shurson, Animal Scientist, U of Minnesota

A useful website: www.ddgs.umn.edu