Dried Distillers Grains Supplementation of Calves Grazing Corn Residue

One hundred and twenty steers (512  37 lb) were stratified by weight and assigned randomly to incremental levels of DDGS treatments. Steers were limit fed a 47.5% alfalfa, 47.5% WCGF 5% supplement diet for five days at the beginning and end of the trial and weighed for three consecutive days to minimize variation due to gut fill. Treatments included 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, and 6.5 lb DDGS/ head daily adjusted to a percentage of body weight (.29, .49, .69, .88, 1.08, and 1.27 % respectively.) The DDGS contained 12.4% fat and 30.1% CP. Calves were weighed on consecutive days biweekly to adjust the amount of DDGS offered. Minerals and vitamins were added to the DDGS supplements to meet NRC requirements. All steers were individually fed supplement using Calan electronic gates. Thirty calves were selected as a control group and fed a diet of 70.9% brome hay, and 29.1% sorghum silage with DDGS treatments assigned randomly within the group. Diet intake was directly measured for individual steers in the control group. Ninety calves grazed 90 acres of corn residue for 95 days. Grazing calves were gathered every morning at 6:30 and allowed three hours to consume supplement, then returned to the field for grazing. Corn residue samples were collected biweekly using two ruminally canulated heifers and IVDMD was determined.