The use of distillers grains in beef systems has been a long-term focus at UNL because of the opportunities for a beef producer to get an inexpensive source of both energy and protein that can fit well in many cow, backgrounding, and finishing systems. 

Usage is greater for the feedlot sector, but there is actually great value in younger, lightweight, backgrounding cattle. Of course, use of distillers in combination with low energy forages like residues for cows is also a consideration, or in situations when protein supplementation is needed. 

We recently summarized the feeding value of distillers grains for finishing cattle and how that may have changed over time (https://beef.unl.edu/2026-beef-cattle-report/feedlot-nutrition-and-management/summary-value-distillers-grains-plus/). While the value has decreased in feedlot diets, using distillers can still be a very economical choice and fed at 10 to 40% depending on price, availability, and transportation. The value of wet is greater than modified, which are both greater than dry in terms of energy utilization. All are equal when considering their value as a protein supplement and provide a good source of bypass protein in situations where that is needed. Our data (summarizing performance from over 6,000 head across 50 experiments suggests that dry, modified, and wet have a value of approximately 103, 115, and 120% the value of corn for finishing cattle. These values are lower than values we measured with cattle performance prior to 2012. If you feed distillers at 20% or less of the diet, you may not notice a large change in feed efficiency (feeding  distillers at 20% that is 15% better than corn will be a 3% improvement in the diet), but cattle still tend to eat more, and gain 5-10% more when fed distillers and that extra rate of gain is valuable at today’s prices. In addition, your supplemental protein costs should be lower as feeding 20% or more in most finishing diets should displace needs for expensive supplemental protein (including urea).

More data is needed with growing cattle, but the value is likely 125 to 130% the value of supplementing corn in growing diets, with a fair Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) estimated to be 125 to 130% of corn, or a TDN in a growing diet of about 105%. Interestingly, there is no difference between dry, modified, or wet distillers when used in a forage-based diet in terms of energy content. There may be concerns with mixing in dry distillers in a forage-based diet unless your forages are wet like silage.

Again, all distillers are a good intermediate protein supplement that contains 30 to 35% protein from most conventional ethanol plants. Some new distillers byproduct feeds are becoming common in some areas that may run lower in fat, lower in protein, or in some cases, higher in protein. As always, watch the sulfur content, particularly if feeding finishing cattle and feeding large amounts or inclusions greater than 40% of the diet (on a Dry Matter (DM) basis, probably 50 to 60% on an as-fed basis).

Predicting the future always comes with uncertainty, but distillers has been priced competitively to corn for much of the past 12 months. As normal, prices are generally lower in the summer and increase in the winter, although prices have remained competitive these past few fall/winter months.

With increasing use of biofuels, there is an expected increase in the availability of soy protein products. It is reasonable to expect that the additional soy protein products may displace distillers grains use in pig and poultry diets, thereby increasing the availability of distillers grains available for beef systems. This is occurring concomitantly with decreased cattle numbers, particularly in feedlots and to the south. We expect greater opportunities to utilize distillers grains at higher inclusions may be realized in the next few years. 

Understanding the actual feeding value to cattle from the previous research comparing feeding distillers grains to its alternatives should allow for good decision making and perhaps a return to feeding more distillers in diets than in recent years. 

Summary points:

1. Given recent pricing and potential trends, there may be greater opportunities again for use of distillers that is priced competitively to other protein and energy sources.
2. Sharpen your pencil to price distillers on a Dry Matter basis, and then as either an energy (TDN) or protein source. Of course, delivered price is critical to know as well as accounting for moisture when considering both cost per ton of DM, and how to store before feeding.
3. The biological response has not changed for use in forage systems (cows or backgrounding cattle) in that the TDN is likely 105 to 108%, and consistently 30% greater than supplementing corn grain as an energy in forage-based backgrounding programs.
4. While removing some of the fat (and maybe protein) impacts the value today compared to a decade ago, using distillers in feedlot diets may be economically beneficial and optimum inclusions may be greater than in recent years, so understanding the value relative to price will be very important for decision making.
5. More information to come on storing wet or modified distillers as opportunities arise for inexpensive distillers. Storage for smaller operations allows for better planning and ensuring adequate feed supplies when needed.