163 Impact of feeding wet or dry traditional or fractionated (Solbran) distiller’s grains on feedlot cattle performance and carcass characteristics

Abstract Solbran (ICM, Colwich, KS) is new corn byproduct of ethanol production composed of fiber plus condensed distiller’s solubles and can be fed dry (Dry Solbran; NDF = 41.1%; CP = 21.84%; Ether extract = 8.4%), or wet (Wet Solbran; NDF = 49.7%; CP = 22.67%; Ether extract = 8.5%). The objective of this study was to evaluate the energy value of dry and wet Solbran compared with traditional dry- (DDGS) and wet- distiller’s grains plus solubles (WGGS) in beef cattle finishing diets. The treatments included a control (CON) with no distiller’s grains compared with the inclusion of DDGS, WDGS, Dry Solbran and Wet Solbran at two levels (20% and 40%) resulting in a 2 × 2 × 2 + 1 factorial. Orthogonal contrasts defined linear and quadratic effects of byproduct inclusion through the common intercept of CON. Additionally, interactions among inclusion (20% or 40%), moisture (dry and wet) and processing method (Solbran or traditional) were evaluated as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial without CON. There was a linear increase in dry matter intake (DMI) by adding DDGS, Dry Solbran, and Wet Solbran (P 0.01) and a tendency for a linear increase in dry matter intake (DMI) with WDGS (P = 0.07). There was a linear increase in ADG by adding DDGS or Wet Solbran (P 0.05) and a tendency for a linear increase in average daily gain (ADG) with the addition of Dry Solbran or WDGS (P 0.10). These changes in DMI and ADG resulted in a linear decrease in gain to feed ratio (G:F) when Dry Solbran was added (P 0.01), and a tendency towards a linear decrease in G:F when DDGS was added (P 0.10). The inclusion of Wet Solbran or WDGS did not influence G:F (P = 0.45). For the 2 × 2 × 2 factorial, there was a 2-way interaction for moisture by inclusion of byproduct for G:F where wet byproduct fed at 40% of the diet resulted in the greatest G:F and 40% dry byproduct resulted in the least G:F (P = 0.04). This interaction was driven by an increase in DMI for 40% byproduct when fed dry, and a reduction in DMI for both 20 and 40% byproduct fed wet. There was no difference in ADG between the treatments (P = 0.75). For the main effect byproduct type, steers fed Solbran had greater DMI (P 0.01) with no difference in ADG (P = 0.79), resulting in a 3% reduction in G:F (P = 0.03) for steers fed Solbran but greater marbling (P 0.01). Impact of feeding distillers grains byproducts on DMI, ADG, and G:F are impacted by the processes used in the ethanol plant, whether wet or dry, and dietary inclusion.