Effects of dried distillers grains with solubles and crude glycerin on performance, carcass characteristics, and metabolic parameters of early weaned beef calves12

The effects of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and crude glycerin on performance, carcass, and metabolic parameters in early weaned (EW) beef calves were assessed. Fifty EW Anguscross calves (123 d of age; 170 kg of BW) were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments: 1) haylage-based control (NEG), 2) corn-based control (POS), 3) 30% DDGS and corn (DDGS+C), 4) 30% DDGS with 15% glycerin replacing corn (15GLY), and 5) 30% DDGS with 30% glycerin replacing corn (30GLY). Diets were fed ad libitum for 160 d. Cattle were commingled on trial d 160 and fed a corn-based finishing diet until slaughter at a common 12th-rib fat depth of 1.0 cm. Final EW phase BW and ADG (P ≤ 0.04) were greater for DDGS+C and 15GLY when compared with 30GLY. Calves fed DDGS+C reached slaughter faster (P = 0.01) when compared with NEG, 15GLY, and 30GLY; however, DDGS+C and POS resulted in lighter slaughter BW and HCW (P ≤ 0.01). Calves fed 15GLY had a greater LM area (P = 0.04) than did POS and DDGS+C, and calves fed 15GLY obtained greater QG (P = 0.05) than did DDGS+C and 30GLY. Calves fed NEG had greater circulating blood glucose and BHBA concentrations (P < 0.001) when compared with DDGS+C. These data suggest that glycerin may be a viable energy equivalent to corn, and diets including 15% glycerin in combination with 30% DDGS may improve feedlot performance and QG when cattle are finished on a corn-based diet.