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The nutritional value of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as a protein ingredient in swine diets has been widely evaluated. Historically, corn DDGS contained approximately 10% oil with a metabolizable energy (ME) content similar to that of corn. However, in the past several years, the extraction of oil from corn DDGS has led to greater variation in the ether extract (EE) content of corn DDGS with published values ranging from 2.1 to 14.3%. After several studies evaluating the ME content of corn DDGS, prediction equations were generated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to use the different ME values for high or low-oil corn DDGS originating from prediction equations and determine the effects of using these values on the reproductive performance, colostrum and blood composition as well as diet digestibility of sows in late gestation. For that purpose, a total of 84 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were allotted on day 85 of gestation to 1 of 7 treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial design with a positive control and 12 sows per treatment. Sows were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets supplemented with either a high-oil or de-oiled corn DDGS at 1 of 3 inclusion rates (15, 30, or 45%). The control diet was corn-soybean meal-based. The experimental diets were formulated using ME values obtained from prediction equations for corn DDGS and NRC (2012) for other ingredients.
As a result, no differences in the reproductive performance of sows was observed between diets. The protein in colostrum and serum of sows fed de-oiled DDGS diets was decreased. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM) and gross energy (GE) decreased as the inclusion rates of corn DDGS in the diet increased, while the digestible energy in these diets did not differ. Both the ATTD of crude protein (CP) and digestible CP for sows fed the diets containing de-oiled corn DDGS were lower compared with sows fed high-oil corn DDGS. Moreover, the ATTD of EE for sows fed the de-oiled DDGS diets was increased.
In conclusion, prediction equations for ME for high-oil and de-oiled corn DDGS could be used to formulate diets for sows in late gestation without any negative effects on reproductive performance and, therefore, could be used for diet formulation.
Xu X, Tian QY, Ma XK, Long SF, Piao XS. The effects of applying ME values for high or low-oil corn distillers dried grains with solubles originating from prediction equations on the reproductive performance, colostrum and blood composition as well as diet digestibility for sows in late gestation. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 2020;259:114317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2019.114317