Distillers grain vs corn

[CowboyRam]

I am looking to fatten up a beef. In the past we have always used cracked corn, but I thought I would look into using dried distillers grain. Are there any advantages to the distillers grain?

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

Cost from what I gather. It's one thing I've considered getting into since there are to local small breweries by me and from what I gather they just give the stuff away. I haven't looked into it enough to say. Couple years back after a hard winter my cows needed condition so I just fed my usual 13% grain and I also doubled it with flaked corn it worked well but got really pricey.

 

[KAstocker]

DDG is generally just used to increase protein. Fat cattle don't need much protein. You wouldn't want more than half DDG as their diet. There's too much sulfur. Even less of their diet if your water has high sulfur.

 

[CowboyRam]

DDG is generally just used to increase protein. Fat cattle don't need much protein. You wouldn't want more than half DDG as their diet. There's too much sulfur. Even less of their diet if your water has high sulfur.

I was think the DDG as a supplement to alfalfa. So what you are saying is I would be better off feeding cracked corn?

 

[SBMF 2015]

Yes, your better off feeding cracked corn. Ddg's are good as a small part of a ration. You need to feed a balancer supplement and make sure you don't over do. Ddg's can cause polio and bladder stones.

 

[CowboyRam]

Yes, your better off feeding cracked corn. Ddg's are good as a small part of a ration. You need to feed a balancer supplement and make sure you don't over do. Ddg's can cause polio and bladder stones.

What do you mean by a balancer supplement? Are we talking minerals. I do have one sweetpro tub left over, I could feed that to this beef. Do I need a balancer supplement with cracked corn as well.

 

[SBMF 2015]

What do you mean by a balancer supplement? Are we talking minerals. I do have one sweetpro tub left over, I could feed that to this beef. Do I need a balancer supplement with cracked corn as well.

A balancer supplement has bicarbonate in it as well as ingredients to bind the micotoxens that are some times found in ddg's.
Your tub would be a protein source, but probably doesn't have the balancer part. No balancer needed with cracked corn, just a regular protein supplement.

 

[CowboyRam]

A balancer supplement has bicarbonate in it as well as ingredients to bind the micotoxens that are some times found in ddg's.
Your tub would be a protein source, but probably doesn't have the balancer part. No balancer needed with cracked corn, just a regular protein supplement.

Thanks. I did a little checking and that ddg is pricy; I thought it might be cheaper than corn. I will be sticking with the corn.

 

[TexasBred]

A balancer supplement has bicarbonate in it as well as ingredients to bind the micotoxens that are some times found in ddg's.
Your tub would be a protein source, but probably doesn't have the balancer part. No balancer needed with cracked corn, just a regular protein supplement.

Give me slink to this balancer you speak of. Never heard of it down this way.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Give me slink to this balancer you speak of. Never heard of it down this way.

I'll try and remember to get a picture of a couple feed tags when I chore tomorrow.

 

[Nkline]

A balancer supplement has bicarbonate in it as well as ingredients to bind the micotoxens that are some times found in ddg's.
Your tub would be a protein source, but probably doesn't have the balancer part. No balancer needed with cracked corn, just a regular protein supplement.

Calcium carbonate is an important part of a balancer mineral. The Ca ratio can get out of wack because distillers is high in phosphorus. Bicarbonate is a rumen buffer and may be include, because if the rumen gets too acidic you will have sulfuric acid "burps" causing brainers. The acidic rumen is not happening because of the distillers it is more of a symptom of a poorly managed starch ration. Thiamine is often included in balancer minerals. Regular minerals contain phosphorus and should not be fed with distillers. An ideal diet for a fatten calves often has both distillers and corn in it. Some places push inclusion rates of distillers when it's cost per energy is lower than corn.

 

[Nkline]

Calcium : Phosphorus ratio is aka Ca

 

[SBMF 2015]

An ideal diet for a fatten calves often has both distillers and corn in it. Some places push inclusion rates of distillers when it's cost per energy is lower than corn

Yes. But that's easier to do on scale. i.e. If you are a feed lot operation with a TMR wagon with a scale and can justify keeping large volumes of feed stuffs on hand. It pays.
If you want simple because you only feed out a few hd once a year. Having multiple feed ingredients quickly becomes a hassle and coat prohibited

 

[BK9954]

I am looking to fatten up a beef. In the past we have always used cracked corn, but I thought I would look into using dried distillers grain. Are there any advantages to the distillers grain?

I used it. I sent it off to be tested, came back 11% protein. Once I figured up the gas and time to haul it, how much "dry" brewers grain actually weighed, I was better off feeding something else.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

I have been feeding wet brewers grain for years to a small angus herd. Beef customers seem very happy with the beef so I keep doing it. I try to limit the amount fed to 3% of their body weight, but I'm normally not that scientific. When I'm trying to finish critters, I feed the BG fairly religiously and feed them good second cut haylage. They seem happy and look pretty good.

 

[pnw-farmer]

I have been feeding wet brewers grain for years to a small angus herd. Beef customers seem very happy with the beef so I keep doing it. I try to limit the amount fed to 3% of their body weight, but I'm normally not that scientific. When I'm trying to finish critters, I feed the BG fairly religiously and feed them good second cut haylage. They seem happy and look pretty good.

What does wet brewers grain cost in your area?
it is $20 a 55gal drum here. With the assumption of 76% moisture content @ 400 lbs per barrel comes out to about 100lbs dry matter. which comes out to .20 a lb.
I found Barley Malt Sprout Pellets $400.00 1 ton tote comes out to .20 lb.. Has a minimum of 23% protein, 4% Fat, and TDN of 77%.
anyone have any thoughts on sprouted barley pellets? Would it work to finish steers?

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

What does wet brewers grain cost in your area?
it is $20 a 55gal drum here. With the assumption of 76% moisture content @ 400 lbs per barrel comes out to about 100lbs dry matter. which comes out to .20 a lb.
I found Barley Malt Sprout Pellets $400.00 1 ton tote comes out to .20 lb.. Has a minimum of 23% protein, 4% Fat, and TDN of 77%.
anyone have any thoughts on sprouted barley pellets? Would it work to finish steers? View attachment 12794

It is free. Right out of the masher. Sometimes you can negoitiate free beer too. I've never had it analyzed although now you got me wondering. I am thinking the analysis results may change a bit with different types of brews...
I have different breweries that do it different ways, etc, but my primary guy puts the grain in 200 gal forkable totes. It's been working well so far.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Try the math and see what comes up. You did not give a current weight but did indicate 3% of body weight.
3% is pretty well accepted as what a cow will eat per day if available.
You indicated small angus herd without regard to steers and heifers. Steers will have a greater propensity for gain.
Using an in weight of 800 lbs. and finish at 1400 would require an additional 600 lb. gain.
With the ration referenced they should be gaining 3.25 + per day and this will increase as they get larger.
This may be subject to conjecture but I would venture another 150 days to slaughter with the last 30 days
consuming close to 40 lbs. of feed per day and gaining right at 5lb per day. This is using a hot ration with no or
very little hay and will require around 4500 lbs of feed at .20 per for a cost of around $900 to feed on out to 1400.

I would consider an input of 20 cents a lb. for input as prohibitive. Feeding some hay will lower this albeit will
require more time to finish. I did use 7-1 ratio POF/POG Yours may beat that... good luck

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Try the math and see what comes up. You did not give a current weight but did indicate 3% of body weight.
3% is pretty well accepted as what a cow will eat per day if available.
You indicated small angus herd without regard to steers and heifers. Steers will have a greater propensity for gain.
Using an in weight of 800 lbs. and finish at 1400 would require an additional 600 lb. gain.
With the ration referenced they should be gaining 3.25 + per day and this will increase as they get larger.
This may be subject to conjecture but I would venture another 150 days to slaughter with the last 30 days
consuming close to 40 lbs. of feed per day and gaining right at 5lb per day. This is using a hot ration with no or
very little hay and will require around 4500 lbs of feed at .20 per for a cost of around $900 to feed on out to 1400.

I would consider an input of 20 cents a lb. for input as prohibitive. Feeding some hay will lower this albeit will
require more time to finish. I did use 7-1 ratio POF/POG Yours may beat that... good luck

That would be awesome if they were gaining that much. I try to send my animals to slaughter when they are about 1000 to 1100 pounds for a hanging weight of 600. It seems to take about 18 months to get to that target with the steers gaining faster normally.

I am not that exact with the ratios. I have my brood herd and fall calves in one corral and the weaned spring calves and any animals I'm trying to finish in another. So that means the spring calves are getting fed pretty well, but the finsihers are eating more since they're bigger.

When we are not finishing anything, they all (cows too) get grain in a very unscientific way. They brewreies I am using have only one masher. Thats where the grain comes out of. They may do 5-6 batches in a day, and if that masher is full they're shat ouuta luck. They need the farmers and ranchers or they'd have to pay to dispose of the grain. What that means is once you get in bed with a brewer, you are there fulltime. You NEED to be there everyweek, if not twice a week. I start taking weeks off, they'll find a new farmer and I wouldn't blame them.

You called out "warm" grain. Boy do they love that. It's still warm and steaming when I first get it and they love that. They still eat it cold. The party is definetly over if you let it freeze. Gotta keep and eye on that.

The grain weighs about 200ish pounds for a 32gal trash can full to the top.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Try the math and see what comes up. You did not give a current weight but did indicate 3% of body weight.
3% is pretty well accepted as what a cow will eat per day if available.
You indicated small angus herd without regard to steers and heifers. Steers will have a greater propensity for gain.
Using an in weight of 800 lbs. and finish at 1400 would require an additional 600 lb. gain.
With the ration referenced they should be gaining 3.25 + per day and this will increase as they get larger.
This may be subject to conjecture but I would venture another 150 days to slaughter with the last 30 days
consuming close to 40 lbs. of feed per day and gaining right at 5lb per day. This is using a hot ration with no or
very little hay and will require around 4500 lbs of feed at .20 per for a cost of around $900 to feed on out to 1400.

I would consider an input of 20 cents a lb. for input as prohibitive. Feeding some hay will lower this albeit will
require more time to finish. I did use 7-1 ratio POF/POG Yours may beat that... good luck

As far as the cost goes. You could be right, but it sure seems to stretch the hay dollar. I go they once a week. 1.5 hour round trip. I've been teleworking (I am eternally grateful of this) since the pan hit and I look forward to seeing the folks at the brewery. I get free beer and the owners even have helped on cattle drives. You do a cattle drive in southeastern coastal New Hampshire and you're practically a celebrity. (cops to control traffic, news coverage, etc..) We had to stop traffic across the busiest east west highway in southern NH for 7 minutes. You shoulda seen the traffic build up...