Wet Distillers Grains for Dairy Cows

An experiment was reported comparing the lactation performance and nutrient utilization in dairy cows fed increasing amounts of corn distillers grains. Four ruminally cannulated cows were fed diets containing wet distillers grains at levels of 10, 20, 30 or 40% (dry matter). All diets contained 30% corn silage and 15% bromegrass. The distillers grains replaced soybean meal, soybean hulls and animal fat. The diets, on a dry matter basis, averaged 17.8% crude protein, 41.7 NDF, 22% ADF, 6.5% EE, and 1.65 Mcal/kg. Diet dry matter decreased (49.5, 45.8, 41.9 and 4 .4% for the 10, 20, 30 and 40% wet distillers grain treatments, respectively. Dry matter intake decreased (P<0.02) as diet wet distillers grains increased in the diets (49.5, 45.8, 41.9 and 40.4%. for 10, 20, 30 and 40% wet distillers grains, respectively). Milk production decreased (40.1, 36.7, 34.9 and 34.8 kg/day; P<0.01) as wet distillers grains increased from 10 to 40% of the diet. Total tract digestibilites of DM, OM, ADF, and NDF did not differ (P<0.10) with increasing levels of wet distillers grains. Total tract digestibility of crude protein tended to increase with increasing distillers grains, while nitrogen intakes tended to decrease due to the lower dry matter intakes. These results indicated increasing wet distillers grains in dairy cow diets had minimal effects on the digestion of nutrients, however, milk production was decreased when the wet distillers grains were added to the diet at levels above ten percent of the dry matter.

KaIscheur, KF. and co-workers. 2004. Increasing wet distillers grains in the diet of dairy cows on milk production and nutrient utilization. Presentation #947, p465-466 of the 2004 Joint Annual Meeting abstracts.