Corn Stillage Uses

Corn Stillage as Poultry Feed

• Studies now show what home brewers have known for years. Corn stillage is an excellent source of feed for chickens, turkeys and other poultry. In the late 1990s, researchers at the University of Missouri determined that broilers and turkeys maintained industry standard growth rates when a diet consisting of 16 percent corn stillage was tested. While poultry should not be fed a diet of only corn stillage, adding the inexpensive byproduct can reduce feed costs.

Corn Stillage for Ruminants

• Corn-fed cattle and other ruminants can digest corn stillage when mixed with other feeds. The USDA has participated in or funded studies on corn stillage and cattle for years, with published results as far back as the mid 1980s, illustrating grit and hominy stillage having more than 68 percent protein. Both wet and dry stillage is added to corn-fed cattle diets to provide additional protein while reducing feed expenses. Studies indicated increases in weight for corn-fed cattle supplemented with corn stillage.

Fiber Source for Baby Food

• A published study from the USDA in the mid 1980s analyzed the protein and fiber content of corn stillage from dry-milled corn fractions. According to the study, protein levels and fiber content was suitable for use in baby food. Compared to distiller's grain, dry-milled fractions from flour, grits, hominy and similar corn products contained more protein, less fat, and lower levels of fiber. Such properties allow for easier digestion by infants and toddlers.

Extracting Corn Oil from Stillage

• The most recent byproduct of corn stillage is corn oil for biofuel. According to the California Environmental Protection Agency, corn oil can be extracted after fermentation, but before ethanol is fully produced. No adverse effects on ethanol production were noted, giving farm producers yet another revenue stream from corn byproducts. The oil produced can even be used as a biofuel to help power ethanol production facilities.