Mixing Wet Distillers Grain in Beef Feed Rations

Distillers grains use in beef feeding operations has become more popular over the recent years due to the growing ethanol industry; although, little is known about the order in which the ingredients should be added, optimum mixer design, and optimum mix time when using distillers grains. Not using the correct methods and equipment when mixing distillers grains cost beef producer’s time and money. Recognizing the lack of information available on the mixing process, a joint effort by four professors and one junior undergraduate student from the Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering Department at Iowa State University was established. The results of the effort concluded that when adding distillers grains to feed rations, no major changes to the producers mixing process are needed. With this, the recommendations resulting from this study are to follow the manufacturer’s recommended mix times, and to add distillers grains to the ration near the end of the mixing process.