Agricultural Economics Department
Date of this Version
3-2012
Citation
Cornhusker Economics (March 2012)
Abstract
Growth of the ethanol industry in Nebraska and surrounding states has increased the availability of distillers co-products as feed for livestock. The increased availability of distillers grains with solubles (DGS) together with its high protein, energy and phosphorous content, make it a natural fit as a supplement in many grazing situations (2008 Nebraska Beef Report, pg. 25-27, 2009 Nebraska Beef Report, pg. 37-39). DGS generally comes in the form of a wet (WDGS) or dry (DDGS) product. How to feed this relatively new product to cattle in a pasture is an important economic question. Several recent studies at the University of Nebraska’s Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory, near Whitman, Nebraska have measured the effects of two delivery methods when feeding WDGS and DDGS in a pasture on the ground, versus feeding them in commercially manufactured feed bunks. It was expected that feeding on the ground would result in higher waste levels than feeding in a bunk, but the waste may be offset by a reduction in capital expenses associated with bunk feeding.
Comments
Published by University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Department of Agricultural Economics. Copyright © [2012] Board of Regents, University of Nebraska. http://agecon.unl.edu/cornhuskereconomics