What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the impact of dried distillers grains in creep-feeding supplements on suckling beef calves' performance and digestion on tropical pastures.

February 6, 2026

Effects of dried distillers grains inclusion in creep-feeding supplements on performance and digestion characteristics of suckling beef calves in tropical pastures

Key Points

To evaluate the impact of dried distillers grains in creep-feeding supplements on suckling beef calves' performance and digestion on tropical pastures.
Used 37 Red Angus × Nellore male calves grazing Urochloa decumbens pastures.
Conducted a 14-day adaptation period followed by a 108-day performance and digestibility assessment.
Tested four treatments: control, DDG-free supplement, and two DDG inclusion rates (375 g/kg and 750 g/kg dry matter).
Analyzed voluntary intake, forage intake, and nutrient digestibility using orthogonal contrasts.
Supplementation increased voluntary intake significantly (P ≤ 0.01).
No significant effect was observed on forage intake (P ≥ 0.46).
DM and crude protein digestibilities improved linearly (P ≤ 0.03).
Average daily gain increased when compared to control calves (P ≤ 0.01), but decreased with higher DDG levels (P ≤ 0.04).
Dietary digestible organic matter decreased linearly with DDG inclusion (P < 0.01).

Abstract

Context. Creep feeding is an effective strategy for increasing weaning weight. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of dried distiller’s grains (DDG) supplementation in calves grazing tropical pastures. Aims. To evaluate the effect of DDG inclusion in creep-feeding supplements on the performance and digestion characteristics of suckling beef calves on tropical pastures. Methods. Thirty-seven Red Angus × Nellore male calves (162 ± 4.1 kg BW; 120 ± 30 days old) were used. Cow-calf pairs (n = 37) were randomly assigned into eight paddocks formed by Urochloa decumbens pastures. Animals were subjected to a 14-d adaptation period followed by a 108-d performance and digestibility period. Four treatments were evaluated: Control (mineral premix), supplement without inclusion of DDG, or supplements including 375 or 750 g/kg DDG on a dry matter (DM) basis. Orthogonal contrasts were used to compare control and supplemented calves and to evaluate the linear and quadratic effects of DDG inclusion in the supplement. Key results. Supplementation increased (P ≤ 0.01) voluntary intake, although it showed no effect (P ≥ 0.46) on neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (apNDF) or indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF) intakes. Supplementation did not affect (P 0.42) calves’ forage intake. The addition of DDG in the supplements tended to have a quadratic effect (P 0.07) on the calves’ forage intake. Supplementation improved linearly (P ≤ 0.03) DM and crude protein (CP) digestibilities. Additionally, adding DDG in the supplement decreased linearly (P 0.01) the dietary DOM. Supplementation enhanced (P 0.01) average daily gain (ADG) when compared to control calves. Conversely, ADG decreased linearly as the DDG inclusion in the supplement increased (P ≤ 0.04). Conclusion. Supplementing beef calves through creep-feeding system enhances calf performance. Conversely, including 375 or 750 g DDG/kg DM in supplements decreases digestion characteristics and performance of suckling beef calves in tropical pastures. Implications. The present study reinforces the use of creep-feeding supplementation in suckling beef calves. However, the inclusion of DDG in creep-feeding supplements may not provide the expected benefits in tropical conditions.

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