Dried Distillers grain.......

[Sparktrician]

looking into starting using this on our feed lot. How long will the stuff store with out spoinling? How much can you feed 60%, 20%? Any pros and cons appreciated.

 

[JMS MN]

There is no storage issue with dried distillers grain. It"s the cheaper wet form that spoils- in the summer, in a few days. Excellent protein and energy source. Usually about 25% protein, I believe, but consistency can be a problem, depending on the plant. I know of one who feeds it free choice to his buffalo, used to feed steers the same way, along with a bit of dry hay. He contracts with a brewery to get all of their DDGS.

 

[Fordfarmer]

We've used it in our steers' grain mix for years, just under 20% by weight. There is an upper limit to how much you can feed, but I can't remember what that is. Your local feed mill should be able to tell you- they don't want to tell you wrong, have you get mad, and loose business that way. JMS./MN is right - it's the wet stuff that spoils.

 

[CumminsMan]

Only way it goes bad is if you let it get wet. If putting it into a bulk bin make sure you have an agitator, cause it sets up really bad. If feeding it in a feed lot, your local feed supplier will have a DDG supplement to mix with it. You will need to add some Sod. Bicarb as well. We used it with shelled corn in our feedlot, with good success.

 

[Mike (WA)]

We used to get wet "malt" from the Olympia Brewery back in the '50's. Dairies were small enough that they couldn's take all the production in the summer, which is the busy time for beer production- so some dairies had a big "malt pit", which they filled in the summer. It ensiled, and made good feed in the winter- in fact, the increase in milk production was greater than could be explained by the composition of the stuff. They had to fill it fast, so it wouldn't spoil- so semi trucks came, to each farm in turn- they let you know a few days in advance, and you had to have gates set up and cattle moved out so they had a straight shot to the pit, without opening gates, and they hauled day and night for about 2 days, until the pit was full, then started on the next farm. We covered it with plastic, just like you would a grass or corn silage bunker. It was delivered hot- had to keep everyone away from the pit, if you fell in it would cook ya'! We learned that the hard way- my little sister's show heifer met an untimely demise by getting out of her pen, and fell in. RIP, Rosebud.

 

[JMS MN]

I"ve often wondered how it would work with today"s silo bag technology, or going into a Harvestore. Certainly is good feed, and cheap when wet. Or mixing with corn silage while filling the silo- especially late in fall when the corn is to dry to ensile properly. Let"s apply for a research grant?

 

[Mike (WA)]

I don't know how you could bag it, as its "sloppy wet" and would run out. Harvestore would probably work fine. Don't see why it wouldn't work to moisten up the corn. Doesn't work well with pigs- a guy I went to school with got a contract, and tried to make it the major component of his ration. Pigs grew well, but their fat was kind of slimy, and didn't harden up when cooled- took a terrific docking, and had to cut back enough on the malt that he no longer had a feed cost advantage.