Distiller's Dried Grains with Soluble (DDGS)

Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) are the nutrient-rich co-product of dry-milled ethanol production. DDGS utilization as a feed ingredient is well documented as both an energy and a protein supplement. DDGS have a longer shelf life (almost indefinite) than normal corn and soybean meal, making it a valuable food source to livestock and poultry producers. Furthermore, the longer shelf life ensures DDGS can be shipped anywhere.

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As the U.S. Grains Council notes, DDGS' high energy, mid-protein, and high digestible phosphorus content make it an attractive partial replacement for some of the more expensive and traditional energy (corn), protein (soybean) and phosphorus (mono-or dicalcium phosphate) used in animals feeds. One ton of DDGS, according to the USDA, is the equivalent of 1.22 tons of feed consisting of corn and soybean meal. In fact, a report by ABF Economics earlier this year concluded that the 3.3 million tons of DDGS produced by the ethanol industry in Minnesota in 2014 were sufficient to meet the annual feed requirements of nearly 2.5 million beef and dairy cattle, or the entire inventory of cattle and calves in the state.