Corn distillers dried grains with solubles: nutrient analysis, metabolizable energy, and amino acid digestibility in broilers

Abstract

Corn dried distillers' grains with solubles ( DDGS ) are an important ingredient for poultry feeds. The efficiency of producing ethanol has improved affecting its nutrient composition; for example, improvement of the extraction of fat; the use of enzymes to degrade most of the starch could be adding more variability between DDGS suppliers. Therefore, regular analysis of DDGS is imperative. In the present study, 8 suppliers of the US ethanol industry provided samples of DDGS to perform various analysis including proximate analysis, starch, sugars, mineral analysis, AMEn, apparent ileal amino acid digestibility ( AIAD ), and standardized ileal amino acid digestibility ( SIAD ), particle size, and color. Proximate analysis was evaluated by 4 different laboratories where CP and ash showed the lowest variability compared with crude fat and crude fiber variability between laboratories. The results are provided at 88% DM, CP averaged 27.5% (25.6–29.9%), crude fat 9% (4.8–11.2%), starch 1.3% (0–6.4%). Particle size was quite variable with an average of 895 um (462–1,529 um). For the color evaluation, the CV (%) between DDGS was 9% for lightness, 14% for redness, and 10% for yellowness. The average AMEn was 2,169 (2,017–2,278 kcal/kg) (88%DM). Differences in AIAD and SIAD of amino acids are provided. Apparent ileal amino acid digestibility of lysine was 69% (65.5–71%); SIAD of lysine was 73% (70–75%); AIAD M + C was 78% (73–80%), and SIAD M + C was 81% (76–83%), the rest of essential and nonessential amino acids are presented in this article.