Fact Sheet Written by:
Dan Adams, Terry Klopfenstein, Galen Erickson
And Provided by:
University of Nebraska-Lincoln http://beef.unl.edu
Wet distillers grains plus solubles is an excellent feed for feedlot cattle and as a supplement for cows or calves on forage. However, usage must occur as delivered with semi-load quantities used on a weekly basis. As a result, smaller operations are limited on using wet distillers grains plus solubles. Similarly, most cow-calf operations that would like to purchase and store feeds cannot utilize wet distillers grains because feeding rates are too low to avoid spoilage and there is disconnect between needs (winter) versus greatest supply (summer).
Research has shown that wet distillers grains will not spoil over time if oxygen is removed. The issue is that wet distillers grains are wet and cannot be stored in a bunker silo or be packed. Similarly, WDGS does not store well in silo bags because pressure cannot be applied. As a result, WDGS does not store well or requires burdensome areas for storage.
Based on some small-scale mixing and evaluation of WDGS amended with dry forages, dry byproducts, or dry grain, it has been determined that adding small amounts of dry, bulky feedstuffs to WDGS may solve these challenges with storage in silo bags and/or bunkers. However, we need to evaluate this on a larger scale so that it is applicable to commercial situations. This project is very timely, as we would like to have answers for producers prior to May when supply of WDGS may be larger than supply of feedlot cattle that can use large enough quantities of WDGS. By doing this research project, we will be able to give producers guidelines about how to store wet distillers grains over a period of time. We will be able to help producers determine which feed stuffs to use and at what inclusion levels to ensure WDGS can be stored and used by these operations at a later date or by smaller operations.
The objective of this research project was to evaluate three common forage sources available in the summer which include: alfalfa hay, grass hay, and wheat straw, as well as DDGS and corn gluten feed. Within each source, the appropriate inclusion of amendment was determined that will allow for packing in a silo bag without breaking bags. Bunker storage was also evaluated (which presumably requires more forage addition) that would allow for packing equipment to appropriately compact the bunker silo.
Click Below for Fact Sheet
