Corn Co-Products in Beef Cow Rations

John D. Lawrence, Iowa State University

Darrell Mark, University of Nebraska

Types of Corn Co-Products1. Corn gluten feed: wet mill

– Corn bran + steep

– Can be wet or dry

– Moderate crude protein, CP = 16-23%• 80% of CP is DIP (ruminally degradable)

– Low fat, moderate fiber, TDN = 80

– 101-115% of energy value of dry-rolled corn

– Product variation is significant within and across plants due to amount of steep added back to the corn bran

Types of Corn Co-Products

2. Distillers Grains + Solubles: dry mill

– Distillers Grains (65%) & Solubles (35%) (DM basis)

– May be wet or dried

– Higher crude protein, CP = 30%• 65% UIP (undegraded, “bypass”, protein

– High fat (11%), TDN = 70-110

– Concentrates nutrients 3-fold from corn• 0.8% P, 0.35-1.0% Sulfur (variable)

Types of Corn Co-Products

3. Condensed distillers soluables: dry mill

– Also known as “syrup”– 35% dry matter but in liquid form– Higher crude protein, CP = 26%– High fat, low fiber, TDN = 110-115

4. Modified DGS are available

– (35-65% DM)

5. Hybrid wet & dry plant combining corn bran and distillers solubles bran cake

– Example: Dakota Bran Cake

Nutrient Composition of Selected Corn Milling Co-Products

Research in Co-Product Supplementation For Cattle on Forage

• If properly balanced there appears to be benefit using CGF or DGS to supplement cattle on forage diets

– Little starch in CGF, so no negative effect on fiber digestion

– Protein in forage highly degraded in rumen, so may need UIP supplementation

• DGS is a good choice

– Cattle on forage may need additional energy• DGS can provide this energy, along with the protein and

phosphorous• One supplement reduces costs

SBM & DDGS Supplement With Same Feeding Value

Limited Research in Co-Product Supplementation For Cows on Forage

• Nebraska: DGS based supplement on winter range

• Illinois: CGF and DGS similar to each other when supplementing corn stalks

• Illinois: DGS had similar performance as corn-soybean meal for cows fed corn silage based diets

Feeding Levels

• To meet protein and energy requirements for average cows in good condition fed as a supplement to corn stalks:

– Last 1/3 of gestation, 3-5 lb. of DDS or 8-15 lb. of WDG per day

– Early lactation, 6-8 lb. of DDG or 20-23 lb. of WDG per day

• Fine-tune for the specific cow size, stage of production, condition score and weight gain

Dried Distillers Grains Fed with Corn Stalks to Meet Protein & Energy Needs of Beef Cows by Month

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Months After Calving

Po

un

ds

per

day

Methods of Feeding

• CGF and DGS

– Wet or dry product– Total Mix Ration with forage– Limit feed to grazing animals daily or every other day

• CDS

– Free choice in open tanks or lick tanks like molasses on pasture and corn stalks

– Mixed with forage at feeding or at storage

Developing Heifers

• Control

– Winter grazing & hay & protein supplement

• Treatment

– Winter grazing & WCGF supplement

Treatment saved $6.71 in costs

Stalk Grazing

ADG

y = -0.03x2 + 0.43x + 0.26

R2 = 0.99 P < 0.01 SE = 0.08

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7DDGS (lb)

lb

2.52

0.981.05

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Control 2X DDG

DDG Supplement to Steers On Drought Stressed Pasture

Whole systems analysis finds better performance through grazing

and feedyard

DDGS on Brome Pasture

Control Fert DDGS

Grass ADG 1.37 1.37 1.95

Weight a 977 977 1065

Feedlot ADG 3.40 3.40 3.70

Weight 1368 1368 1491aInitial wt = 767

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

$/ton, DM

Corn

Pasture

Price of Corn and Pasture

Price of DDG and Pasture

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006

$/ton, DM

DDG

Pasture

Challenges

• Dry product is more costly, but stores well

• Storing wet DGS product

– Material exposed to air spoils in 7-14 days depending on temperature

– Cowherds do not use fast enough for large loads

– Has low pH and does not ensile but will keep in air-tight storage for long periods

– Spoilage loss stored in silage bags (Walker et al)• 20% loss opened and fed day 78-112 post-sealing• 28% loss opened and fed day 190-257 post sealing

Challenges

• Storing wet DGS product

– Often delivered in truck load lots– Can store wet DGS in bunker, silage bag or in pile

covered with plastic to protect from air– Mix with tub-ground forage and stored in bunker or bag

• Storing CDS

– 70% water, protect from freezing– Can mix with tub-ground forage and stored in bunker or

bag

Storage Could Allow Cattle Producers To Buy Seasonal Price Lows

Seasonal Index of Dried Distillers Grains, Nebraska, 2003-2005

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

120.00

140.00

160.00

Jan

Feb Mar Apr

May Ju

nJu

lyAug

Sep OctNov

Dec

Pri

ce In

dex

(%

of

An

nu

al A

vera

ge) Seasonal Price Index

Seasonal Price Index + 1 Std Dev

Seasonal Price Index - 1 Std Dev

Source: AMS & University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Minimum Levels of Roughage To Mix in WDGS For Storage

Bagginga

Bunker

Grass hay 15% 30-40Wheat straw 12.5 25-32Alfalfa hay 22.5 45-55?DDGS 50 ---ADMCGF 60 ---a300 PSI. Source: Erickson & Klopfenstein

Opportunities

• Often low-cost high protein and energy feed– Particularly wet product near plant

• Complements low quality forage

– Winter feeding programs grazing crop residue– Feeding mature, poor quality grass hay– Drought stressed pastures

• Extend summer pastures to carry more cattle on the same acres

• Adding fat (DGS) to diets is shown to increase pregnancy rate in herds with low pregnancy rates

Economics

• Reduced heifer wintering cost $10.47/head feeding DGS supplement on winter range in Nebraska compared to conventional hay based system

– Savings from reduced hay and labor– Same pregnancy rates (97%)– http://beef.unl.edu/beefreports/200605.shtml

Economics

• Iowa Beef Cow Business Records report average winter feed cost per cow of $1.01 per day

• Corn stalks and DGS can be much less

– Baled corn stalks, $17-25 per ton– Dried distillers grains, $70 per ton– Before for processing, feeding loss, or vit & min

• Late gestation cost would be $.38-.51 per day • Early lactation cost would be $.57-.72 per day

– Wet distillers grains is lower cost than DDGS– Supplement grazed corn stalks will also lower cost

Resources

• Distillers Grains for Beef Cows– http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IBC26.pdf

• A low cost vacuum storage method can preserve high moisture, distiller’s grains. Walker, Earing, and Mathews– http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/abstracts-beef/2005-Walker%20(235) %20A%20l

ow%20cost%20vacuum%20storage--.pdf

• The effect of vacuum stored high moisture distiller’s grains as a protein and energy supplement for beef cows Walker, Earing, and Mathews– http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/abstracts-beef/2005-Walker%20(239) – %20The%20effect%20of%20vacuum--.pdf

• Review of Recent Beef Cow Trials Feeding Distillers Grains– http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/articles-beef/2005-Doering-Resch-%20Review%2

0of%20recent%20beef%20cow%20trials--.pdf– Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports: http://beef.unl.edu/reports.shtml