Comparison of Camelina Meal and Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles in Diet of Beef Replacement Heifers

Biofuel production from different crops yields by-product meals that are available for use as protein sources for ruminant livestock. Variation in nutrient composition among meals may result in different inclusion rates to meet nutrient needs of livestock. In this study we compared distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a by-product of ethanol production, and camelina meal, a by-product of biodiesel production, as a protein source in hay-based diets for beef heifers before breeding. Diets were formulated to be similar in energy and protein content by altering the amount of protein source and corn in the diet. Heifers fed the two protein supplements performed similarly in both weight gain and reproductive performance. Both gain and reproduction were at very acceptable levels for beef heifers, indicating that both by-product meals are satisfactory protein sources in beef heifer diets