Maataloustieteellinen Aikakauskirja
Vol. 56: 221—226, 1984

Evaluation of barley distillers dried grains with soluble, and condensed
distillers solubles in the diet of growing pigs

MATTI NÄSI

University of Helsinki, Department of Animal Husbandry,
SF-00710 HELSINKI 71, Finland

Abstract. Two digestibility and nitrogen balance trials were conducted to evaluate the
feed value of barley-derived distillers dried grains with solubles (BDDGS) and semisolid dis-
tillers solubles from barley and wheat (BDS and WDS) in rations for growing pigs. The aver-
age crude protein, lysine, crude fibre and neutral detergent fibre contents of BDDGS, BDS
and WDS were, respectively: 30.6, 20.6, 30.7 %; 1.7, 1.7, 2.6 g/16 g N; 16.1, 2.0, 3.1 %\

69.4, 2.3, 7,1 %. Available lysine was greatly reduced in all samples. The distillery by-prod-
ucts composed 33 % of diet DM in the barley based rations. The control diet was a mixture
of barley and skim milk powder. The organic matter and crude protein digestibilities of
BDDGS, BDS and WDS were 40.5, 80.4, 85.0 % and 52.4, 46.9, 77.5 %, respectively. Their
FU values and DCP values were 0.50, 0.94, 0.94/kg DM and 319, 102, 253 g/FU. on the WDS
diet, nitrogen retention, as g/d, was similar to that on the control diet, but on the diets with
barley distillery products it was reduced due to the lower amount of protein absorbed, espe-
cially the lower lysine intake. Barley distillers by-products proved to have low feed values for
pigs in this study, but the value for WDS was quite reasonable. The new integrated starch-
ethanol process can be expected to yield more suitable fractions for use in pig rations.

Introduction

Distillers by-products can be fractioned by
screening or by centrifuging into solubles
and grains, and these fractions can be dried
together or separately to produce DDGS or
DDG. The soluble fraction can be evapo-
rated to a semisolid (Pieper 1981). Distillers
dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and whole
stillage from wheat have been investigated in
rations for growing pigs and it has been
found that up to 5 °/o and 10 % of the pig

feed can be replaced with DDGS and wet-
stillage, respectively (Alaviuhkola 1978,
Suomi 1980). Newman and Gras (1983) have
reported that 5 % barley dried distillers
grains (BDDG) can be used to replace barley
and soybean meal in diets for growing pigs.
Higher levels tended to decrease the feed
conversion efficiency, although the rate of
gain was not impaired by up to 10 % BDDG.

A new ethanol plant using barley as raw
material will start operation in Finland in

Index words: Barley distillers grains with solubles, ethanol fermentation by-products, protein sources, pig feeds.

221

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN FINLAND

https://www.c-info.fi/en/info/?token=GVe6gYyzpKmXeJh7.WkucDtgAjq45OoQycC9KMg.ATX48TJ9whAEb-T0nU_Rn2daGFeQbXnBq4P6_5NpzPFvmH1i1MlGgmna7PwdpjuYBLY9mwNUJ1OfhbYsZN3ecYaiUAv_XQ_buf9H44bfRSSjrKJDbgLFZW2c6UYDlvvFZKH-eNkpRoDj12DJ3MsTpijU1bRAVKxQSqG-7zE


1987. The process will be integrated ethanol-
starch production, with an annual yield of
61700 tn DM grain fractions for feed pur-
poses (Lehmussaari 1984). The increased
supply of distillers products expected in the
next few years has encouraged reevaluation
of these products, especially barley residues,
for which little information is available re-
garding utilization in pig diets.

The present study was designed to evaluate
three distillery products as feed for growing
pigs by detailed analyses of chemical compo-
sition, and measurements of nutrient digesti-
bilities and utilization of protein.

Materials and methods

Two digestibility and nitrogen balance,
trials were carried out, with four castrated
Landrace pigs in each trial, during the
growth period from 73 to 109 kg. Barley dis-
tillers grains with solubles (BDDGS), and
condensed wheat distillers solubles (WDS)
composed 33 % of the dry matter of the diet
which was based on barley meal enriched
with minerals and vitamins. The control ra-
tion was a barley, skim milk powder mixture
(85 % + 15 %). In the second trial semi-
solid barley distillers solubles (BDS) com-
posed 33 % and 67 % of the dry matter of
the diet, which was based on barley. This
trial had to be abandoned during the second
period, due to the severe diarrhoea of the
pigs receiving the larger amount of BDS.
Each test period consisted of a 9-day adjust-
ment and a 6-day collection period. The dai-
ly feed ration was 2.7 kg, on average 85 g/kg
W 0 The pigs were kept in metabolic cages,
which allowed separate collection of faeces
and urine. These were collected quantitative-
ly twice daily and representative samples
were frozen and stored until analysed. The
pigs were weighed before and after the col-
lection period.

Chemical analyses of the feeds and faeces
were performed according to official proce-
dures. Acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral

detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent
lignin (ADL) were determined according to
Coering and Van Soest (1970). Amino acids
were determined with a Technicon TSM au-
toanalyzer after hydrolysis of 6 hours in 6 N
HCI. The availability of lysine was measured
according to Carpenter (1960). The mineral
composition was analysed with an atomab-
sorption spectrophotometer and phosphorus
was determined by the method of Tayssky

and Shorr (1953).
The digestibilities of the nutrients in the

distillery products were calculated by the dif-
ference method, using measured values for
barley and table values for skim milk pow-
der. The feed values were calculated accord-
ing to Salo et al. (1982) and Andersen and
Just (1979).

Results and discussion
BDDGS and WDS had a crude protein

content around 30 % of DM, but in BDS the
value was 20 % (Table 1). During yeast fer-
mentation of grain, nearly all starch is re-
moved, which concentrates the protein and
other components. The crude fibre content
of BDDGS was 16 %, which is in good ac-
cordance with the results of Newman and
Gras (1983). Barley contains 10—12 %

hulls (Salo and Kotilainen 1970) and in
DDG this percentage is increased, which is
undesirable from the nutritional point of
view since hulls consist of strawlike material.
Barley also contains a fibre fraction pri-
marily derived from endospermal cell walls,
/3-glucan, which is also poorly digested
(Cambell et al. 1984). In BDDGS the con-
tents of total cell wall constituents (NDF),
69.4 %, and lignocellulosic material (ADF),
33.8 %, were high and exceeded the values
(65.2 % and 28.2 %) given by Newman and
Gras (1983). Condensed distillers solubles
(BDS and WDS) had low values for ADF
and NDF, which was due to the water solu-
bility of these materials.

In BDDGS and BDS, especially the latter,
most of the essential amino acids were lower

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223

Table 1. Chemical composition of distillers grain and solubles and barley meal, used in digestibility experiments
with pigs.

BDDGS BDS WDS Barley

Dry matter 94.3 71.2 34.4 87.9
Ash 4.4 17.9 9.7 3.0
Crude protein 30.6 20.6 30.7 11.2
True protein 27.4 12.0 23.3 9.4
Ether extract 6.8 1.5 7.5 2.5
Crude fibre 16.1 2.0 3.1 5.6
Nitrogen-free extract 42.0 57.9 49.0 77.7
Acid detergent fibre 33.8 5.0 4.5 7.0
Neutral detergent fibre 69.4 2.3 7.1 53.3
Acid detergent lignin 13.5 3.4 1.9 1.1
Lignin 7.9 0.9 0.4 2.0
Water soluble carbohydrates 5.3 13.8 15.1

Amino acids g/16 g /V
Alanine 4.3 3.7 3.4 3.5
Arginine 3.3 2.1 3.5 4.6
Aspartic acid 5.5 5.5 4.4 6.6
Glutamic acid 20.8 13.6 17.5 19.0
Glycine 3.9 4.7 4.2 3.8
Histidine 2.4 2.7 2.8 2.3
Isoleucine 4.0 2.5 2.8 2.6
Leucine 7.8 4.2 5.7 6.1
Lysine 1.7 1.7 2.6 3.4
Methionine 0.8 0.4 0.8 1.1
Phenylalanine 4.9 2.8 3.5 4.1
Serine 4.0 3.9 4.3 3.9
Threonine 3.6 3.7 3.1 3.9
Tyrosine 2.7 2.2 2.7 2.1
Valine 6.5 4.6 4.7 4.6
Available lysine 0.35 0.5 1.5 3.1

Minerals
Phosphorus, g/kg DM 5.09 16.16 17.05 3.98
Calcium, » 0.65 1.35 0.61 0.53
Magnesium, » 1.55 6.30 4.94 1.14
Sodium, » 2.40 47.24 11.96 0.59
Potassium, » 7.55 19.50 22.21 6.05
Iron, mg/kg DM 196 162 122 64
Copper, » 18 7 7 9
Zinc, » 67 116 33 61
Manganese, » 38 98 69 21

than in the original grain barley (Table 2). In
both the products the lysine content was only
1.7 g/16 g N, whereas in barley it was twice
as high. The available lysine was reduced to
the minimal value of 0.35—0.5 g. Methio-
nine and threonine were also decreased.
WDS had a sligtly better amino acid profile
than the barley distillers products. Distillers

products undergo heat and other processing
treatments and these cause deamination and
affect reactions with sugars, thus decreasing
the biological value of the protein. Alaviuh-
kola (1978) and Salo (1978) found reduced
lysine concentrations in wheat DDGS and
decreased availability, too. Satterlee et al.
(1976) and Newman and Gras (1983), how-



Table 2. Digestibilities and nitrogen balance of diets containing distillers soluble or distillers grain with solubles
compared with values for barley meal supplemented with skim milk powder.

BDS 33 % WDS 33 % BDDG 33 % Barley 81.5 %

barley 67 % barley 67 % barley 67 % skim milk
of diet of diet of diet powder 16.4 %

of diet
x s.d. x s.d. x s.d. x s.d.

Digestibility
Dry matter 81.0 2.0 83.5 0.4 69.4 0.8 85.4 0.7
Ash 68.9 2.1 54.9 2.4 33.7 0.6 51.9 1.6
Organic matter 82.1 1.9 85.6 0.4 71.2 0.8 87.2 0.7
Crude protein 60.8 5.2 79.5 1.9 65.2 1.1 87.3 0.8
True protein 56.4 5.6 82.8 1.4 68.6 1.3 89.4 1.0
Ether extract 35.8 6.3 84.4 1.8 83.8 1.0 86.9 1.3
Crude fibre 90.0 1.0 33.3 2.9 17.4 1.2 29.8 4.7
NFE 88.7 4.2 90.8 0.2 79.4 1.0 90.0 0.6
Nitrogen balance
N intake, g/d 50.4 2.7 73.0 0.2 72.0 0.1 62.8 0.1
N in faeces, g/d 19.8 3.4 15.0 1.4 25.0 0.7 8.0 0.5
N absorbed, g/d 30.5 1.5 58.1 1.4 46.9 0.8 54.8 0.5
N in urine, g/d 18.9 1.0 36.3 2.3 32.2 0.8 35.6 0.8
N retained, g/d 11.6 2.3 21.7 2.0 14.7 0.8 19.2 1.2

% of intake 23.2 5.6 29.8 2.7 20.5 1.0 30.5 1.9
% of absorption 37.8 5.8 37.4 3.6 31.4 1.4 34.9 1.9

Biological value 51.2 4.5 45.9 3.4 42.6 1.2 44.7 1.8

ever, found fairly similar amino acid profiles
in wheat, corn and barley DDG compared
with the original grains.

The sodium, potassium and phosphorus
contents were higher in condensed distillery
solubles than in barley (Table 1). Sodium is
added in fermentation to adjust the pH
(Lehmussaari 1983). The high sodium con-
tent in BDS was probably the reason for
diarrhoea in the pigs receiving the larger
amount of solubles in the second trial.

On the diet containing WDS, nitrogen re-
tention was almost the same as on the con-
trol diet but on the diets containing barley
distillers products, nitrogen retention was
decreased. The differences are mostly due to
the differences in DCP intakes, which were
191, 363, 293 and 343 g/d on the BDS,
WDS, BDDG and control diets, respectively.
The lysine intakes were 12.2, 14.2, 12.0 and
19.0 g/d, respectively. The availability of
lysine was also much reduced in both barley

distillery products. However, the results of
Newman and Gras (1983) indicated that ap-
parent nitrogen retention was not affected
when BDDG replaced soybean, composing
up to 20 % of the diet. Thong et al. (1978)
measured nitrogen retention with gilts and
found no differences between DDGS and
soybean used as protein supplements.

The digestibility coefficients indicated that
WDS was similar to barley, though the crude
protein was 5 %-units less digestible. BDS
had slightly lower values for organic matter
and NFE digestibility, but crude protein di-
gestibility was only half that of barley. Bar-
ley BDGS was digested poorly by the pigs
(Table 3). The values were lower than those
measured with ruminants (Näsi 1984). The
organic matter digestibilities of distillers by-
products are reported as 54—63 °/o for wheat
(Salo 1978), 80 °7o for maize and 74 % for
potato (Roth and Kirchgessner 1975); the
crude protein digestibilities were 63—67 %,

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Table 3. Digestibility coefficients of distillers grain and solubles and calculated feed values.

Barley Wheat Barley dis- Barley
distillers distillers tillers grain
solubles solubles with solubles

Digestibilities
Dry matter 80.4 83.1 38.9 83.7
Organic matter 80.4 85.0 40.5 85.8
Crude protein 46.9 77.5 52.4 82.2
True protein 31.8 80.8 56.8 85.2
Ether extract 18.4 82.8 81.5 86.9
Crude fibre 204.1 44.2 8.2 30.3
NFE 90.0 92.3 37.2 90.4
Feed values
FU/kg DM 0.94 0.94 0.50 1.16
kg/FU 1.49 3.09 2.11 0.98
DCP in DM, % 9.7 23.8 16.1 9.2
g DCP/FU 102 253 319 78
Just system
ME MJ/kg DM 14.66 15.44 8.45 15.14
NE MJ/kg DM 9.12 9.70 4.46 9.48
NE FU/kg DM 1.18 1.26 0.58 1.23
Axelsson
ME MJ/kg DM 14.40 14.70 7.90 14.83

53 % and 55 %, respectively. Newman and
Gras (1983) did not find any differences in
nitrogen digestibility between diets when up
to 20 % of the soybean was replaced by
BDDG.

When feed values were calculated from the
chemical composition and digestibility val-
ues, both condensed solubles were found to
have a FU value of 0.94/kg DM, but the val-
ue for BDDGS was low, 0.50/kg DM. The
DCP value for BDS was low, about the same

as in grain, but WDS and BDDGS had high-
er values, 253—319 g/FU.

When barley distillery by-products are
used in pig diets, the hull content has to be
decreased to obtain an adequate energy val-
ue, and thermal processing treatments
should be estricted as far as possible, to
avoid impairing protein availability. The
new integrated starch-ethanol process yields
fractions which are more suitable for use in
pig feeding.

References

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na. Koetoiminta ja Käytäntö 31.10. 1978.

Andersen, P.E. & Just, A. 1979. Tabeller over foder-
midlers sammensaetning m.m. kvaeg, svin. Det kgl.
danske Landhusholdningsselskap. Kobenhavm. 56 p.

Campbell, 0.L., Classen, H.L. & Salmon, R.E. 1984.
Enzyme supplementation of barley diets for broilers.
Feedstuffs 56 (19): 26—27.

Carpenter, K.J. 1960. The Estimation of the Available
Lysine in Animal Protein Foods. Biochem. J. 77:
604—610.

Coering, H.K. & Van Soest, P.J. 1970. Forage fiber
analyses: apparatus, reagents, procedures and some
applications. U.S. Dep. Agric. Handb. No 379: B—9.

Lehmussaari, A, 1983. personal communication.
—, 1984. Integroitu tuotanto. Etanoli tärkkelys

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tärkkelyssokeri. Esitelmä. Oy ALKO Ab. Process En-
gen. Division Rajamäki. 5 p.

Newman, C.W. & Gras, P.W. 1983. Utilization of bar-
ley distillers dried grains in swine growing diets. Proc.
West. Sect. Am. Soc. Anim. Sci. 34: 138—141.

Näsi, M. 1984. Distillers dried by-products from barley
as protein source for ruminants. J. Agric. Sci. Finl.
56: 213—219.

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duktion. Handels Futtermittel 2 A: 91—lO6.

Roth, F.X. & Kirchgessner, M. 1975. Zum Futterwert
getrockneter Kartoffel- und Maisschlempe beim
Schwein, Das Wirtschaftseigene Putter 21: 225—231.

Salo, M.L. 1978. Vehnärankkijauhon rehuarvo lihasi-
kojen ruokinnassa. J. Scient. Agric. Soc. Finl. 50;
291—295.

—, & Kotilainen, K. 1970. On the carbohydrate com-
position and nutritive value of some cereals. J, Scient.
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ruokintanormit. 70 p.

Satterlee, L.D., Vavak, D.M., Abdul-Kadir, R. &

Khndrik, J.G. 1976. The chemical, functional and
nutritional characterization of protein concentrates
from distillers grains. Cereal Chemistry 53: 739—749.

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toiminta ja Käytäntö I. 7.1980.

Tayssky, H.H. & Shorr, E. 1953. A microcolorimetric
method for the determination of inorganic phospho-
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Thong, L.A., Jensen, A.H., Harmon, B.G. & Corne
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Ms received August 17, 1984

SELOSTUS

Ohrarankkirehun ja rankkiuutteen arvo
lihasikojen rehuna

Matti Näsi
Helsingin yliopisto, Kolieläinlieleen laitos,
00710 Helsinki

Sulavuus- ja typpitasekokeissa tutkittiin rankkituot-
teiden rehuarvoa ja valkuaisen hyväksikäyttöä kasvavil-
la lihasioilla. Ohrarankkirehussa oli raakavalkuaista
30.6 %, lysiiniä 1.7 g/16 g N ja raakakuitua 16.1 %

ka:ssa ja vastaavasti ohra- ja vehnärankkiuutteissa 20.6,
30.7 %; 1.7, 2,6 g sekä 2.0 ja 3.1 %. Käyttökelpoisen
lysiinin määrä oli kaikissa rankkituotteissa hyvin alhai-
nen. Eri rankkituotteilla korvattiin 33 % dieetin kuiva-
aineesta sulavuusmäärityksissä. Ohrarankkirehun sekä
ohra- ja vehnärankkiuutteen orgaanisen aineen ja raa-
kavalkuaisen sulavuuksiksi saatiin 40.5, 80.4 ja 85.0 %

sekä 52.4, 46.9 ja 77.5 %, vastaavasti. Laskennallisiksi
rehuyksikköarvoiksi ja sulavan raakavalkuaisen mää-

riksi saatiin 0.50, 0.94 ja 0.94 ry/kg ka sekä 319, 102 ja
253 g srv/ry. Typen pidättyminen oli vehnärankkiuute-
dieetillä samanlaista kuin vertailudieetillä, mutta ohra-
rankkituotteita sisältäneillä dieeteillä huomattavasti vä-
häisempää, koska siat saivat näillä dieeteillä sulavaa val-
kuaista ja erityisesti lysiiniä edellisiä vähemmän.

Ohrarankkituotteiden käyttökelpoisuus sikojen ruo-
kinnassa on heikko johtuen valkuaisen alhaisesta sula-
vuudesta ja puutteellisesta aminohappokoostumukses-
ta. Lisäksi korkean kuitupitoisuuden takia ohrarankki-
rehun sulavuus jäi vähäiseksi. Käyttökelpoisia rehufrak-
tioita on mahdollista saada integroidusta etanolitärkke-
lystuotannosta myös sikojen ruokintaan.

226