Diving into The Changing Nutrient Profile of Distillers Feed Products

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) held the first Distillers Feed Products Nutrition Roundtable, bringing together animal ag partners, animal nutrition experts and ethanol technology providers to discuss the changing number and nutrient profile of distillers feed products. 

 

“Our goal is to start a meaningful dialogue across segments of the supply chain,” said NCGA Director of Market Development Sarah McKay. “This is just one of the many steps to better understanding how new corn fractionation technologies are being deployed in dry mills in the U.S.  These technologies create value by separating out the various components of corn to allow improved utilization of the subsequent product streams.  While this technology has a lot of potential for early adopters and could increase corn grind, it will require a change in how the value chain views and uses the products of ethanol plants.  Gathering stakeholder input and starting a dialog early should help the rollout of this technology proceed smoothly.”

 

As the profile of distillers feed products change, challenges and opportunities arise. Beef, pork, poultry, and dairy experts, Drs. Dan Loy, Jerry Shurson, Shelia Purdum, and Alvaro Garcia, respectively, gathered to discuss current understanding and key research needs. The afternoon consisted of technical presentations by ICM and Fluid Quip Process Technologies along with a discussion on the next steps and action items to address the changing nutrient profile and value added from these feed products. Other participants included representatives from Green Plains, Flint Hills Resources, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and Mitch Schweers, a farmer from Nebraska and member of NCGA’s Feed, Food and Industrial Action Team. 

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.