Corn Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles for Laying Hens – They’re Great

Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) has been available as a feedstuff for poultry for many decades. Early use of DDGS showed growth performance benefits in various species of poultry and was often associated with “unidentified growth factors”. Research published in the 1940’s showed that DDGS was a good source of riboflavin and thiamine. Use of DDGS in poultry diets has historically been about 5% due to limitations such as variability in nutrient content and digestibility and pricing of the product due to transportation costs. Matterson et al. (1966) reported that DDGS could be fed in laying hen diets at 10 to 20% without affecting egg production with no supplementation of lysine. The inclusion of DDGS in the ration accounted for one-third of the protein provided to the birds. Harms et al. (1969) reported that 10% DDGS in a layer ration did not affect egg production or egg weight. Jensen et al. (1974) observed that DDGS had a positive effect on egg interior quality (increased Haugh units), although this was not a consistent response. This study was focused on wheat-soybean meal diets in which less soybean meal was included in the diet as levels of DDGS were fed relative to feeding corn due to the higher protein content of wheat. When wheat was the primary energy source in the ration, supplemental lysine was needed to maintain egg production when 10% DDGS was fed compared to the control group. Others have shown that levels of 20-25% DDGS can be fed to meat-type birds with no effect on gain or feed conversion as long as metabolizable energy and lysine values are appropriate in the formulation of the diet (Potter, 1966, Waldroup et al., 1981). The recent increase in construction of ethanol plants in the Midwestern U.S. has resulted in much higher production of DDGS. This by-product of ethanol production is considered a “coproduct” by companies producing ethanol since each bushel of corn results in approximately equal portions of ethanol, DDGS and CO2. The ethanol plant in Caro, MI (Michigan Ethanol, LLC) produces an estimated 125,000 tons of DDGS annually. Since new plants are continuously being built (including Michigan), corn growers are interested in the use of DDGS as a feedstuff for several areas of animal production. Lumpkins et al. (2003) reported on the use of DDGS in laying hens diets fed DDGS from “New Generation” plants. This “new” process involves a gentler drying process and is proposed to result in a better nutrient profile than traditional commodity DDGS. In this study at the University of Georgia, laying hens were fed DDGS up to 15% starting at 40 weeks of age. The researchers found no detrimental effect on egg production or quality of the egg or shell due to feeding 15% DDGS in the ration. Color of the egg yolk was measured directly on the intact yolk with a Minolta chromameter. However, no effects on egg yolk color were observed.