Animal Performance, Storage Losses and Feasibility of Ensiling a Mixture of Tub Ground Low Quality Hay and Wet Distillers’ Grains for Growing Cattle
Abstract
This study was designed to evaluate long term storage options for wet distillers’ grains including storage losses and performance of backgrounding calves. Thirty six tons of wet distillers’ grains were mixed by mixer wagon with 9 tons of tub ground fescue hay in August of 2007. This mixture packed and stored in a bunker silo, covered with plastic and stored until December at the ISU Beef Nutrition Farm. The mixture was fed to growing cattle and compared to the same feeds mixed daily, and also conventional feeds for a 112 day trial. Performance of all treatments exceeded projections, averaging approximately 3 pounds per day. There were no differences in daily gain or feed conversion among treatments, although cattle fed WDG consumed less feed. Sulfur content of the WDG containing diets exceeded .5% of the diet dry matter. Storage losses were 10.9% for the bunker-stored mixture.
Keywords: ASL R2412
How to Cite:
Loy, D. D., Strohbehn, D. R., Berryman, R. K., Morrical, D. G., Sellers, H. J. & Trenkle, A. H., (2009) “Animal Performance, Storage Losses and Feasibility of Ensiling a Mixture of Tub Ground Low Quality Hay and Wet Distillers’ Grains for Growing Cattle”, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 6(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-499
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