The plant at Sutherland, Neb., to my knowledge, does not add the solubles back onto the wet distillers grains. With this in mind, there would not be as much sulfur in the WDG. So at the feeding rates that I discuss later, I don’t think sulfur will be an issue. In addition, at the feeding level of the WDG discussed later, fat content in the diet will not be an issue.
There's not much nutrient value to soybean stubble. Soybeans are legumes, and legumes increase in ligin as they mature. Legin is not digestible in the rumen. Estimate soybean stubble to be 3.7 percent to 4.0 percent crude protein and less than 40 percent TDN. The comments arebased on some research by Gustad reported in the 2006 NE Beef Report, which you can read online at beef.unl.edu, under "Reports." Gustad supplemented calves grazing corn stalks with DDGS. Her data would suggest that three to four pounds per head, per day of DDGS on a dry matter basis would result in an ADG of about 1.25 pounds. When putting the wet distillers and soybean stubble in the 1996 NRC, it indicates if calves weigh 550 pounds and are consuming about 13.5 pounds of dry matter per day that they would need closer to 5.5 pounds per head, per day DM (16 pounds per head, per day WDG at 35 percent dry matter, 65 percent moisture) to get an ADG of 1.25 pounds At 5.5 pounds per head, per day dry matter of distillers, that’s about 41 percent of the diet being distillers on a DM basis. Don’t put more than one-third of the diet on a dry matter being distillers grains. The diet will need calcium as the distillers will supply plenty of phosphorus and adding some supplemental calcium would get around any water belly concerns. The minimum Ca:P ratio for me on calves is 1.25:1. There is a byproduct premix that adds calcium. It is assumed you will grind the soybean stubble and mix the WDG in, so adding a premix would be possible. If you are thinking about not supplying their full diet from this combination and want them to graze, then add enough soybean stubble to the WDG to get the WDG delivered to the calves. Start at 12 pounds per head, per day WDG as-fed, get a good mix, and spread it out so that all calves get their share.
