• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

DDG Question--HELP!!

F

Faster horses

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
30,475
Location
NE WY at the foot of the Big Horn mountains
One of our customers is feeding DDG's this year and he can't get the calves to the bunk. How do you folks that feed it, get the calves started on it?

He is feeding ground hay and they are slicking that right up.

Thanks in advance. This is an older rancher and this is the first
time he has feed DDG's. Also any other tips about it would be
appreciated.

I visited with him about 3V2S mineral not being the one of choice
with DDG's because of the phos content. He feeds the mineral free
choice and it would be better if he could mix it with his DDG's.
That way you know they are all getting some.
 
If he is using a mixer wagon have him add 20% water to the ration and put the ddg in with it. They seem to eat the hay better and the ddg will stick to it and not blow or sift away.
 
FH:

While I don't know if this addresses your issue, this is a great resource on feeding DDGs. They are generally very palatable, so like buyer, I'd be inclined to this there are some spoilage or quality issues.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/beef/as1242.pdf

Cheers---

TTB :wink:
 
Better hope he is adding thiamine as part of a buffer package, if and when they start eating the DDG. If not, he could be calling the deadwagon.
 
If I am right he is feeding long hay and then the DDG in a different bunk. I have a couple years experience with this and they start slow. I put corn or oats with it at 5-1 or more to start with. Give them a week with that and then go 3-1, another week and then 1-1. I have never went over 1-1 so I am not sure how they would respond after that. This year I have a ground hay wagon with a scale so I will mix 4# DDG per head for everything and anything I want to feed extra I will feed in seperate bunks.
 
We dont feed dry, we feed wet and it is usually not a problem to get them started. Be it straight Distillers or having it mixed with something else... To get them started a bit quicker we will mix something sweet in there, usually some silage for the odor of it.... We were feeding a lot of it last year, mixed with 3V0 and didn't have any problems with it. I was concerned a bit that we were on the outside edge of what 3V0 as formulated and got that confirmed by my rep but we were still okay.

The first time we fed the cows byproduct I think we mixed about 10% grain in with them.. It was more a matter of getting them bunk trained again than getting them trained to the byproduct. Seems to be the same with the calves.
 
Mine eat strait DDG fine. I get mine up to 5lbs along with grazing. No problems. edit: one note of caution fh, DDG strait is a hot ration, tell him to put very little in the bunk, very little, and make the increases very small.
 
We feed the wet straight in the bunks the calves are eating it very well and today was their 2nd day on it but all had a taste last spring when they were with the cows so I'm sure that helped.The only time I've fed the dried it was mixed in a 14% calf ration with corn,oats,wheat mids and soybean meal..

I fed the 3V0 free choice last winter.

I also fed out a 150 hogs on straight wet cake they grew slower but still turned a fair profit of $40 per head but I had got that wet cake for $8 per ton last year.Alot of nay sayers said it could'nt be done but it can.The thiamine was suppose to be a big problem with the hogs but it was'nt..

I don't think there is enough real world experiance to really have all the answers.

I would find out where the DDG is coming from.The can burn it quite easily drying it which really affect's it taste and feed value's.I know the feed store in town won't buy from the local plant due to the inconsistancie's the tend to burn it quite often.
 
Any DDG I have fed was mixed with cracked corn. No more trouble to get them to eat it than anything else out of bunks. Once they figure out what it is they are wild for it.
 
He is reffering to wet distillers grain.. When they make Ethanol there is a mash left over that is, oh say 33% Dry matter and 67% water Some places are wetter and others a bit drier. If they dry it this becomes DDG.. Otherwise it is WDG.. I am so looking forward to the plant openeing abou 5 miles from here but most of the darn plants around here seem to be pretty reliable, not a lot of breakdowns...
 
There is a biofuel plant going to be built in Stettler i wonder if they will have a byproduct like this as well. I know about a malt plant as well but not sure of what is left after they get what they want out of the barley.
 
The biodisel plants are working on doing something with the, oh shoot can't remember if is gylcerine or gycerol or what but it is the waxy stuff that will cloud soydiesel, to use as a feed adative. Can't remember mucha bout what the article said..

What malt plant will have something, might be brewers grains or something like that, have seen it fed, cows didn't like it as much as the Distillers.
 
Faster horses said:
Thanks all and thanks, Denny. Maybe I should find out where it came from. Can you tell by look or smell if it has been burnt? How do you know?
Click to expand...

If it's a darker brown chances are it has been burnt.If it's done properly it is a gold color a little bit darker than soybean meal.If they burn it the nutrient value goes down quickly.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top