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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #311222
Title: Compositional effects of corn distillers dried grains with variable oil content on digestible, metabolizable, and net energy values in growing pigs

Author
item Kerr, Brian
item GABLER, NICHOLAS - Iowa State University
item SHURSON, GERALD - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Professional Animal Scientist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2015
Publication Date: 11/30/2015
Citation: Kerr, B.J., Gabler, N.K., Shurson, G.E. 2015. Compositional effects of corn distillers dried grains with variable oil content on digestible, metabolizable, and net energy values in growing pigs. Professional Animal Scientist. 31(6):485-496. doi: 10.15232/pas.2015-01444.

Interpretive Summary: The expansion of the ethanol biofuel industry has generated a variety of co-products, which due to availability and price, have become available for use as a potential feedstuff for growing swine. Most recently, ethanol companies have been extracting a portion of the oil from distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) resulting in a product called reduced oil-DDGS. To date, however, the impact of this oil extraction on the caloric value (digestible, metabolizable, and net energy) to growing pigs is not known. This research demonstrated that reduced oil-DDGS are a good source of digestible and metabolizable energy for swine, but have relatively low net energy content. The relatively low content of the reduced oil-DDGS is likely due to their higher fiber content and insoluble nature of fiber, as well as reduced lipid digestibility and contribution to net energy content. This information is important for nutritionists at universities, feed companies, and swine production facilities for estimated energy values of reduced oil-DDGS for use in feed formulations, and provides a basis from which to assess its economic value.

Technical Abstract: Two experiments were conducted in growing-finishing pigs to determine the DE and ME (Exp. 1, 96.3 kg BW) and NE (Exp. 2, 45.4 kg BW) content of corn-distillers dried grains with solubles (C-DDGS) in an effort to develop DE, ME, and NE prediction equations based on chemical composition of C-DDGS. Composition of the 6 C-DDGS sources varied (ash, 4.71 to 5.63%; CP, 29.65 to 32.21%; ether extract, 6.99 to 13.34%; NDF, 38.27 to 39.58%; total dietary fiber, 31.12 to 32.81%; DM basis), with the determined DE ranging from 3,836 to 4,038 kcal/kg DM, ME from 3,716 to 3,893 kcal/kg DM, and NE from 2,107 to 2,310 kcal/kg DM. Regardless of the range in C-DDGS composition and the resulting DE, ME, or NE content, no chemical parameter measured (GE, CP, starch, total dietary fiber, NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, ether extract, or ash) was significant at P = 0.15 to be retained in the regression model to predict DE, ME, or NE content in the C-DDGS sources evaluated. Apparent total tract digestibilities of several nutritional components were also measured for comparative purposes, but were not included in the prediction model. On average, the C-DDGS used in these studies contained 3,931, 3,793, and 2,207 kcal of DE, ME, and NE/kg DM, respectively. These results suggest that although C-DDGS composition can vary and subsequent DE, ME, and NE also vary, a wider range in ingredient composition and DE, ME, and NE values and more C-DDGS sources appear to be necessary to generate prediction equations.