MANHATTAN, Kan. — Distiller’s grains have become a staple in some bovine diets, but a Kansas State University researcher is not recommending they be used in horse rations.
“People have asked if they can feed dried or wet distiller’s grains with soluble (DDGS) to their horses,” said Teresa Slough, equine nutrition specialist with K-State Research and Extension.
Not recommended
Given the information researchers have so far, Slough said she would not recommend feeding DDGS to horses.
There has been little research done in feeding DDGS, a byproduct of the ethanol production process, to horses, she said.
So far, the studies that have been done examined feeding DDGS for only a short period of time.
The upside of feeding DDGS to horses is they will eat it and, in fact, they like it, said Slough, who is an assistant professor in K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry.
In addition, it is sometimes a less expensive source of protein.
Disadvantages
But Slough warned the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
“Horses are very susceptible to fumonisin poisoning from moldy corn. Fermentation during ethanol production doesn’t destroy the mold, rather it is concentrated.
“Feeding DDGS contaminated with fumonisin just once could cause death,” she said.
Another disadvantage is DDGS has a high phosphorous content.
“Unless the other feedstuffs in the horse’s diet are very high in calcium, the potential exists to create a diet inversed in its Ca:P ratio and negatively affect bone development,” Slough added. “This is of particular concern with broodmares and foals.”
DDGS has a high sulfur content, which also makes it problematic for horses.
“Sulfur toxicity in horses, although rare, can result in colic, jaundiced mucous membranes, labored breathing, cyanosis and convulsions, followed by death,” she said.
Bottom line
“The bottom line is feeding DDGS to horses is not recommended unless it has been tested for fumonisin and contains less than five parts per million, and then it should only comprise a small percentage of the total diet.”
