SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, U.S. — POET announced on Feb. 7 that it is introducing Dakota Gold Low Fat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), which research is showing can be fed to dairy cattle at a higher inclusion rate than traditional DDGS.

Dakota Gold Low Fat DDGS has a 5% fat content, which allows for higher inclusion rates in dairy cows. It is a new opportunity for dairy operations that have had to limit DDGS use in the past because DDGS fat content can cause milk fat depression issues, said Kip Karges, technical services and research director at POET Nutrition.

“Dairy operations can feed more low fat DDGS to their livestock by using Dakota Gold Low Fat,” Karges said. “That will allow for optimum milk production while lowering ration cost."

With volatile ingredient costs, Dakota Gold LF DDGS are one of the most cost-effective feed ingredients available today, replacing more expensive ingredient sources in dairy rations without giving up performance, POET said.

By feeding higher inclusion rates one could see savings approaching or in some cases exceeding 10¢ per cow per day — this is real money returned to the producers’ bottom line, Karges said

General research into the subject has shown that increasing concentrations of low-fat distillers grains have correlated to increasing efficiency of milk production.

“When feeding regular DDGS you really have to limit feeds with high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and may cause limitations in formulation procedures,” said Paul Kononoff, associate professor of Dairy Nutrition/Dairy Nutrition Specialist at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. “The reduction in fat in low fat DDGS allows for higher inclusion of the co-product without the worries of milk fat depression.”

Kononoff and others as the University of Nebraska have performed trials for POET and will be releasing their data to the public this summer.

A deliberate research and development process was followed in bringing Dakota Gold Low Fat DDGS to market, POET said. The new Dakota Gold LF DDGS option is possible because of POET’s Voila Corn Oil production, which removes oil from DDGS. The resulting low fat DDGS have been researched and will continued to be researched to find new ways in which distillers grains, the second-largest traded feed ingredient on the market, can be used to produce protein for human consumption. Nutritionists at POET are providing animal research data to nutritionists and the feed industry in general regarding Dakota Gold LF DDGS. Research and nutrition details are available at the Dakota Gold website.

POET will continue to offer traditional Dakota Gold, which has 7% fat and is well suited for swine, beef cattle and other markets. POET said it remains committed to the value that has become the standard for Dakota Gold, including a consistent nutrient and quality profile and a dependable supply chain.