Distillers Grains and Solubles: Its Role in the Livestock Industries

Robert Wisner ( December, 2012 )

Summary

With the rapid expansion of U.S. corn starch ethanol production since the mid-2000s, its major co-product, Distillers Grain and Solubles (DGS) supplies also have increased sharply every year from the 2005-06 through 2010-11 September-August marketing years. DGS is the major product remaining after the starch in corn has been processed into ethanol. It is a medium-protein feed feed ingredient and also contains substantial feed energy. About 28 to 30 percent of the original weight of corn is left as DGS (at 10% moisture) after ethanol production. This feed ingredient thus has an important role in replacing both corn and soybean meal in livestock and poultry rations. The U.S. livestock and feed industries have learned that it can be used in rations at much higher levels than were believed feasible a few years ago.

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