Distillery By-Products In Livestock Rations
30 October 2024Distillery by-products are a popular choice to provide additional protein and energy in livestock rations, but over the years the tonnage available in Scotland has fallen significantly as more and more distilleries move towards using their grain by-products to produce green energy. Strathclyde distillery is stopping production of wheat distillers dark grains this Christmas, with all by-product going towards anaerobic digestion. However, distiller’s dark grains are still available in various forms elsewhere.
Alternate sources:
The bio-ethanol plants Ensus and Vivergo (located in Cleveland and Hull respectively) both produce significant volumes of animal feed. The Ensus product is a meal which is a mix derived from wheat, rye and maize and is approximately 30% protein on a fresh weight basis. If a pellet is preferred, Vivergo produce a 6mm wheat distillers pellet which will be approximately 10% meal, and around 31% protein on a fresh weight basis. The best pellet quality is always preferred for calf creeps and where concentrates are fed separately to forage to reduce waste and encourage intakes, However, when feeding a TMR, a mealy product is actually preferable as it eliminates the ability of cattle to sort their ration and eat more of the concentrates first.
There are also imported sources of wheat and maize distillers pellets available and it is worth checking with your feed supplier the various options, pellet quality, protein content and price to work out which is the most practical and cost-effective for you. From a dairy perspective, maize distillers are more beneficial for their higher level of bypass protein and higher energy content compared to wheat distillers, however their protein content is sightly lower (nearer 25% on a fresh weight basis). While there are limited amounts available of Edinburgh-based North British maize distillers, and these tend to be more mealy compared to wheat distillers due to their higher oil content, imported maize distillers are also currently available.
Availability:
Always consider product availability when it is needed on farm, as distilleries will shut down for the Christmas period, so plan ahead to ensure you have adequate cover so as not to run out. The same applies to draff and other wet distillery by-products, which are a valuable and cost-effective addition to livestock rations. They are particularly beneficial when feeding high dry matter silages to improve intakes and can often save on more expensive purchased protein sources, as well as being a forage replacer when silage stocks are limited. As these are often booked up in advance, it is best to enquire sooner rather than later to secure often limited supplies.
Written by: Lorna MacPherson
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