The effects of low-, medium-, and high-oil distillers dried grains with solubles on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fat quality in finishing pigs.

A total of 1,480 pigs were used in 3 experiments to determine the effects of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) varying in oil content on growth performance, carcass traits, and nutrient digestibility in finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 1,198 pigs (PIC Line 337 × 1050; initially 46.1 kg) were allotted to a corn-soybean meal-based diet or diets with 20 or 40% of a 5.4% oil DDGS (29.5% CP, 8.9% ADF, and 21.8% NDF; as-fed basis) or a 9.6% oil DDGS (29.6% CP, 15.3% ADF, and 28.6% NDF; as-fed basis). From d 0 to 82, ADG was unaffected by DDGS source or level. However, increasing 5.4% oil DDGS decreased (linear, P < 0.01) G:F, whereas G:F did not change among pigs fed 9.6% oil DDGS (DDGS source × level interaction; P < 0.01). Regardless of DDGS source, carcass yield and HCW decreased (linear, P < 0.04) with increasing DDGS. Increasing DDGS increased jowl iodine value (IV), but the magnitude was greater in pigs fed the 9.6% oil DDGS compared with those fed 5.4% oil DDGS (DDGS source × level interaction; P < 0.01). In Exp. 2, 270 pigs (PIC Line 327 × 1050; initially 46.5 kg) were allotted a corn-soybean meal-based diet or diets with 20 or 40% of a 9.4% oil DDGS (29.4% CP, 19.6% ADF, and 34.5% NDF; as-fed basis) or a 12.1% oil DDGS (28.5% CP, 17.6% ADF, and 31.4% NDF; as-fed basis). From d 0 to 75, ADG increased and then decreased for pigs fed 9.4% oil DDGS but was unchanged for pigs fed 12.1% oil DDGS (quadratic interaction, P < 0.02). Increasing DDGS increased (linear, P < 0.01) jowl IV and tended (linear, P < 0.07) to increase G:F. Regardless of source, HCW and carcass yield decreased (linear, P < 0.05) as DDGS increased. In Exp. 3, nutrient digestibility of the 4 DDGS sources was determined using pigs fed either a corn-based basal diet (96.6% corn and 3.4% vitamins and minerals) or a DDGS diet with 50% basal diet and 50% DDGS. On an as-fed basis, corn contained 3,871 and 3,515 kcal/kg GE and DE, respectively. The 5.4, 9.6, 9.4, and 12.1% oil DDGS contained 4,347, 4,648, 4,723, and 4,904 kcal/kg (as-fed basis) GE and 3,417, 3,690, 3,838, and 3,734 kcal/kg DE, respectively (as-fed basis). Stepwise regression indicated that the oil (ether extract) content was the only significant variable to explain differences in energy content. The equations generated to predict DE and NE as a function of oil content on an as-fed basis were DE (kcal/kg) = 62.347 × ether extract (%) + 3,058.13 (n = 5, adjusted R(2) = 0.41) and NE (kcal/kg) = 115.011 × ether extract (%) + 1,501.01 (n = 5, adjusted R(2) = 0.86).