Comparing Different Drying Methods for Distillers Grains and its Effects on Feedlot Cattle Performance

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of drying distillers grains plus solubles on cattle performance. The control diet contained no distillers grains. The six additional diets contained 35% distillers grains that were 1) wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS), 2) dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS), 3) dried distillers grains plus wet solubles at time of feeding (DDG + Solubles), 4) dried distillers grains plus solubles plus water (DDGS + H2O), 5) modified distillers grains with solubles added prior to drier (MDGSPre), and 6) modified distillers grains with solubles added after the drier (MDGSPost). Cattle fed diets with distillers grains had greater ADG and DMI, and lower F:G than the diet with no distillers grains. Diets containing WDGS, MDGSPre, and MDGSPost had lower F:G than other treatments. Drying of solubles had little impact on the feeding value of distillers grains.