Impact of Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) on Ration and Fertilizer Costs of Swine Farmers
2012
Skinner, Stewart | Weersink, Alfons | deLange, Cornelius F.
The feed ingredient price increases that have adversely affected livestock producers may be offset through the use of coproducts from one of the potential reasons for the price increase in ethanol production. Dried distillers grain with soluble (DDGS) was found to be a more costâeffective source of energy, amino acids, and phosphorus than either corn, soybean meal, or canola meal, and consequently, its inclusion in the ration reduces feed costs by approximately 13% across the three growth phases for a representative Ontario pig farm. It would require a significant increase in the relative price of DDGS before it would not be part of the leastâcost feed formulation at the maximum rate allowed (25% of the ration). The inclusion of DDGS increases the protein and phosphorus content of the ration, and consequently, the manure content of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, if DDGS makes up more than 15% of the ration. The resulting savings to fertilizer costs associated with DDGS will depend on factors such as fertilizer prices, crop needs, and manure nutrient changes, but the benefits, regardless of the scenario, are significantly smaller than the savings to feed costs. Consequently, the use of DDGS in the swine ration is determined primarily through its ability as a costâeffective source of energy and phosphorus, but the saving has been less than the overall feed ingredient price increase since 2006.
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