23
Enhanced DDGS from the
Elusieve Process: Foodstuff for
Nonruminants
Separation of fiber from distiller’s
dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in
a dry-grind plant increases protein
and fat contents and reduces fiber
content in the residual DDGS.
Researchers have developed a
process (the elusieve process) to
separate fiber from DDGS. This
process uses a combination of sieving
(size classification) and elutriation (air
classification) to separate fiber. The
objective of this study is to produce
enhanced DDGS using the elusieve
process and conduct feeding studies
with enhanced DDGS in poultry and
swine diets.
Enhanced DDGS and fiber samples
were produced from two commercial
DDGS samples using the elusieve
process. Original DDGS and
enhanced DDGS were evaluated
for true metabolizable energy and
amino acid digestibility in adult
rooster chickens. One enhanced
DDGS fraction was found to contain
markedly increased protein, amino
acids, fat and phosphorus (protein
level increased from approximately
30% to 40%), and reduced fiber
content. The metabolizable energy
content of enhanced DDGS was also
increased substantially compared to
original DDGS. Several other elusieve
treatments produced intermediate
increases in protein, amino acids, and
metabolizable energy. Digestibility of
amino acids in elusieve DDGS was as
good as for original DDGS. Elusieve
processing of DDGS increases the
nutritional value of DDGS for poultry.
Pig studies confirmed that the
enhanced DDGS from the elusieve
process had 6-7% greater nutritional
energy density than did the original
DDGS. This was expected because
of the removal of some of the fiber,
which is poorly digestible. The
increase in energy density was
found in both digestible energy and
metabolizable energy. The increased
energy density is even more important
now than a few years ago because of
the current high prices of fats that are
often used to increase energy density
of the diet. Of the total digestible or
metabolizable energy of the original
DDGS, 94% was captured in the
enhanced DDGS.
The greater energy density of
enhanced DDGS will allow practical,
cost-effective nonruminant diets to
have higher energy concentration.
Higher energy concentration will allow
not only improved feed efficiency, but
also, in many situations, increased
growth rates. The end result in many
cases is predicted to be increased
profits.
External Competitive Grants Program
Vijay Singh, Kent D. Rausch -
Agricultural and Biological
Engineering
Carl M. Parsons, James E. Pettigrew -
Animal Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
On-Farm Evaluation of
Alternatives to Antibiotics in Pig
Production
Illinois pork producers will face
tightening restrictions on the use of
antibiotics in pig production. These
restrictions may be imposed by either
the government or the market, and
they may reshape the swine industry,
providing a competitive advantage
to those producers who successfully
adapt, and severely challenging the
survival of those who do not.
There are a number of feed
ingredients suggested to improve
growth performance and/or health
of pigs through physiological effects
that go beyond simple provision
of bioavailable nutrients. These
ingredients may be considered
“functional foods” for pigs. A few
examples are fibrous feeds, egg
products, milk products, spray-dried
plasma, acidifiers, mannan
oligosaccharide, and fructo-oligosaccharide.
This research was
conducted to critically evaluate the
value of some of these alternatives in
practical pig production conditions.
The most important finding from
this research is that feeding a small
amount of rice to pigs during the
first week after weaning improves
their health markedly. All three
of the comparisons of cereals on
a commercial farm adapted for
research showed that total pig
removals (pigs that died plus those
removed to hospital pens) were cut
approximately in half by feeding rice.
This startling discovery may bring
substantial benefits to the swine
industry and to the health and welfare
of pigs.
Researchers also found a modest
improvement in feed efficiency from
feeding a special hyperimmune egg
product to newly weaned pigs on
a commercial farm. The eggs were
produced by hens immunized against
phospholipase a, an enzyme involved
in intestinal inflammation. It is not
yet clear whether this technology
will be of use to the industry. It
was also found that feeding spray-dried
conventional eggs improved
health of young pigs, as indicated
by a reduction in the number of
medical treatments needed. Further
evaluation is needed regarding this
potential feed ingredient.
External Competitive Grants Program
James E. Pettigrew, Gilbert R. Hollis
– Animal Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign
Gary A. Apgar – Animal Science, Food
and Nutrition
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale
Livestock
