Ensiling Wet Distillers Grains with Other Feeds

things that can be noted immediately is that except for ADF, NDF, and calcium, distillers grains supply more nutrients relative to the requirements of cattle than the other feeds. When comparing with straw, protein in distillers grains is six times greater, whereas phosphorus is eight times greater. The high sulfur concentration in distillers grains also may pose a constraint, particularly when fed to young ruminants. Excess sulfur in the diet induces a vitamin B1 (thiamin) deficiency resulting in neurological disorders. Most of the rest of the feeds shown in Table 1 have significantly lower concentrations of P and S. Combining them with distillers grains will create a dilution effect, making the blend more appropriate to be fed to ruminants both from health and environmental perspectives.