229 Evaluation of Wheat Blended with Corn in Finishing Diets Containing Wet Distillers Grains

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of grain type and wet distillers grains inclusion on finishing cattle performance and carcass characteristics. Yearling steers (n = 320; initial BW = 325 ± 23 kg) were utilized in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement, with the first factor as grain type at either 100% dry-rolled corn or a 50:50 blend of dry-rolled wheat and dry-rolled corn, and the second factor as wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) inclusion at 12 or 30% of diet DM. There were no interactions between grain type and WDGS inclusion levels (P ≥ 0.21), contrary to our hypothesis that 50:50 wheat blend would improve performance with increased WDGS. There were no differences in DMI, ADG, or G:F (P ≥ 0.29) between 100% DRC or 50:50 blend of DRC and wheat. There was no difference in HCW between grain types (P = 0.84), but LM area was greater (P = 0.02) for steers fed a 50:50 blend of DRC and wheat. There were no differences in 12th rib fat or USDA marbling score between grain types (P ≥ 0.15), but increased LM area in steers fed the blended diet led to improved calculated yield grade (P = 0.04). Increasing WDGS in the diet increased carcass-adjusted final BW (P = 0.03) and improved carcass-adjusted ADG and G:F by 3.8% (P ≤ 0.05). Feeding 30% WDGS increased HCW by 10.9 kg (P = 0.03) and increased 12th rib fat (P = 0.02) compared to feeding 12% WDGS. There were no differences in LM area, USDA marbling score, or calculated YG between WDGS inclusions. These data suggest that increasing WDGS in the diet improves performance regardless of grain type and depending on price, wheat can replace up to 50% of the grain portion of the diet without affecting performance.