DDGS: A Nutritious Yet Inexpensive Addition to Poultry Feed

The rising cost and declining supply of conventional grains have made way for researching newer methods of poultry food production which are cheaper but have better nutritional value. As such, Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles  (DDGS) is a significant alternative.  DDGS is a co-product of Bioenergy plant which uses grains for bioethanol production. The ethanol production requires yeast fermentation as one of the processes. In this process, the corn is ground and mixed with water. It is then cooked to generate liquified starch. This starch is fermented to produce ethanol and CO2. The non-fermentable components of this process which are rich in essential nutrients such as protein, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals are recovered in a highly concentrated form as Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles or more commonly, DDGS.

Benefits of DDGS

As demand for animal stock increases, it becomes important to employ all possible and feasible options for DDGS production. Corn by-products which are considered waste in the ethanol industry can be used as one of the animal feed ingredients. There are many benefits of DDGS as explained below

l High Nutritional Value:

The DDGS obtained from different sources such as corn, rice, wheat, sorghum is highly nutritious for livestock and poultry, out of which corn DDGS is the most preferred for poultry. Corn DDGS has high nutritional consisting of protein, amino acids, phosphorus, and other nutrients.  Poultry fed with DDGS has a better feed intake, feed conversion ratio, body weight, and body weight gain. DDGS also improves the nutrient content of meat and egg by adding omega-3 fatty acids to it, which are good for heart patients. Also, since DDGS contains phosphorous, the consumption of phosphorous increases, in turn, decreasing the need to dump it into the earth, thus reducing pollution.

l Easy availability: 

Since ethanol is now produced on a large scale, the availability of DDGS is abundant throughout the cycle. Since it is a waste, it is cheaply and readily available. Besides, it is an effective replacement of soya and corn in the poultry diet as the price of soya is very high and often fluctuates. Plus, corn is available throughout the year.

l A healthier diet for chickens:

The use of high-quality corn DDGS in layer hens diets is an excellent partial replacement for corn, soybean meal and inorganic phosphate and encourages excellent layer performance and egg quality. When added to the diet of laying hens, it accounts for 30% of the egg protein content eliminating the need for synthetic supplements.  The high xanthophylls content in DDGS improves egg quality including the color of the egg yolk and regulates the oleic and linoleic acid content. For broilers, it provides them with better performance when added to their diet. Reportedly, the weight of broilers was increased by up to 5% after consuming small but regular quantities of DDGS.

A Few Constraints:

Ethanol byproducts are high in sulphate which risks toxicity when fed large amounts of DDGS. Also, the high concentration of sulfate may result in central nervous system disorders. However, chemical treatments can be performed to detoxify. Also, the DDGS procured from distilleries may contain copper. However, Copper is not an issue in the industrial ethanol production. The only challenge now is to prevent industrial contamination for safe usage of DDGS in poultry.