| This study finds that distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is a dominant feed ingredient in hog finishing rations, despite variability in the product’s nutritional content. The optimal inclusion rate has remained at the maximum allowable limit of 20%, suggesting that when a particular DDGS product has low nutrient content, feed compounders simply supplement with corn and soymeal, whatever deficits in nutrients are created as a result. The study examines DDGS products from 40 different ethanol plants and finds that, relative to the DDGS product with the lowest feed ration cost, the optimal feed ration costs of DDGS products from the other 39 ethanol plants are $0.002 to $0.42 more per cwt of feed. The implied price discount from this cost... |
