Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Special Project

Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) feeding and impacts on meat quality for grazing steers

Project ID: ESP2006-03

Abstract

This study suggests that pasture-reared cattle, when given access to soyhull/DDG self-fed by-products, exhibit excellent responses on both live performance and carcass traits, including CLA fatty acid levels.

Key Question: Does this system, using DDG feedings, produce satisfactory animal performance? Additionally, since the animals were fed very limited starch, were CLA levels similar to grass-only finished cattle?

Findings: Results showed that this system is a potential alternative to high-grain conventional beef finishing production in feedlots.

Lead investigator: Mark Honeyman, ISU Research Farms

Co-Investigator(s):

Dan Morrical, ISU Animal Science

Year of grant completion: 2011

This special project was part of the Leopold Center's Ecology Initiative.

Topics: Animal management and forage