In general, DDGS can be used in typical diets for nursery pigs (5 to 10%), finishing pigs (5 to 30%), gestating sows (10 to 40%), and lactating sows (5 to 20%). Growth performance may be affected at any usage level if a high-quality DDGS is not used.

The bioavailaibility of phosphorus in DDGS is higher (77% vs. 14% for corn and 23% for soybean meal), suggesting less diet supplementation with inorganic phosphorus. If diets are properly balanced, manure may see a slight decline in phosphorus concentrations when levels under 20% are fed.

DDGS is also high in crude protein (28% vs. 8.3% for corn and 47.5% for soybean meal on an as-is basis) and can replace protein sources such as soybean meal. However, the amino acid lysine is less available (possibly due to excessive heating during drying), resulting in greater supplementation of crystalline lysine. A 10% and 30% inclusion of DDGS in a swine finisher ration will result in an approximately 15% and 45% increase in nitrogen excretion, respectively.

Author: Rick Koelsch, Livestock Environmental Engineer, University of Nebraska, and Joel DeRouchey, Animal Scientist, Kansas State University.