Ddgs in Poultry Diets – Does It Make Sense

Distiller grains with solubles (DDGs) is not a new or novel feed ingredient. However, increased supplies of distiller’s dried grains with solubles are anticipated throughout the US as a result of ethanol production and this has rekindled the interest in utilization of this corn co-product in animal feeds. DDGs as a feed ingredient has a moderate protein content. In the Midwest US, corn is the primary feed stock although other grains can be processed as well. In the dry mill production of ethanol, two products are produced – liquid solubles and grain residue. Each could be dried separately but are mixed together and dried to form DDGS as a dry ingredient. Some of the liquid solubles has been fed experimentally with acceptable results (Hunt et al., 1997) but usually the product is fed after drying. Newer production methods (“new generation plants”) are thought to produce a higher quality ingredient.