European distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS): Chemical composition and in vitro evaluation of feeding value for ruminants

In Europe, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are based on a variety of raw materials, including wheat and cereal blends. Differences in raw materials affect DDGS characteristics. This study comprised 36 European DDGS from different raw materials. Chemical, protein, and mineral composition, as well as feeding value for ruminants were evaluated. Particularly, ruminally undegraded feed crude protein (RUP), intestinal digestibility of RUP, and utilizable crude protein at the duodenum were estimated by means of in vitro methods. Raw material significantly influenced chemical composition and feeding value. Maize DDGS was more consistent compared to DDGS from blends and wheat. However, variation was high among all samples and within DDGS types for most characteristics. This study confirms previous findings on chemical composition and feeding value of European DDGS. In general, results indicate that information on DDGS raw materials can be an indicator of chemical composition and feeding value, but high variability impairs its validity. Ideally, each batch of DDGS should be analyzed for most important characteristics. Regarding protein value, different in vitro methods and their combination show promising results to identify differences within types of feedstuff.