DDGS (Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles), a coproduct of the ethanol production process, is a high nutrient feed valued by the livestock industry. When ethanol plants make ethanol, they use only starch from corn and grain sorghum. The remaining nutrients - protein, fiber and oil - are the by-products used to create livestock feed called dried distillers grains with solubles.

A third of the grain that goes into ethanol production comes out as DDGS. Each bushel of grain used in the ethanol-making process produces 2.7 gallons of ethanol; 18 pounds of DDGS and 18 pounds of carbon dioxide.

DDGS Qualities:

·         Rich in cereal and residual yeast proteins, energy, minerals and vitamins.

·         Excellent digestible protein and energy source for beef cattle.

·         Can comprise 20-30% of the ration DM.

·         Can also be used in turkey and swine applications.

·         Is a valuable feed for both feedlot and dairy cattle. In North America, over 80% of DDGS is used in ruminant diets. DDGS also is fed to poultry. Recent studies show excellent nutritional value of DDGS in swine diets, and its use is increasing in the pork industry.

Typical DDGS Spec	As Dry Matter	As Feed
Dry Matter (%)	100.00	89.00
Crude Protein (%)	30.71	27.30
TDN (%)	77.83	69.19
NEL (mcal/cwt)	81.02	72.02
NEM (mcal/cwt)	87.88	75.46
NEG (mcal/cwt)	55.83	72.02
NFC (%)	18.06	16.05
ADF (%)	15.62	13.88
NDF (%)	33.25	29.56
Fat (%)	13.39	11.90
Calcium	0.06	0.05
Phosphorus (%)	0.94	0.83