Department of Animal Science
Date of this Version
2012
Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare feeding dry distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) in a bunk or on the ground to cattle grazing subirrigated meadow. Steers fed in a bunk had greater ADG than steers fed on the ground (1.19 vs. 0.92 lb). The NRC (1996) was used to retrospectively calculate the DDGS intake difference between treatments. For steers fed in a bunk, a reduction in DDGS intake between 0.8 and 0.9 lb/day would have resulted in a 0.27 lb/day reduction in ADG, which means 36-41% of the DDGS fed on the ground was wasted. At $200 (DMB) per ton for DDGS, the cost of the wasted distillers grains was between $0.08 and $0.09 per day.
Comments
Published in 2012 Beef Cattle Report (2012) p. 51-52. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.