"If they want to take our corn away, they need to give something back that is competitively priced sothat we can justify feeding.
"We're at a limit right now of what these guys are going to spend on this distiller's grain," he said. Leber says he routinely handles about 2,500 tons of the grain so far this year. He gets the product at ethanol plants in Brookings and Watertown for uniformity of quality and the flow. He's told suppliers if they keep the price of the grain competitive, everyone will get along. Distiller grain is a little wetter than normal grain, so it needs to be used quickly, so it will flow out of the trailer, and retain its quality.
The feed is not suited for poultry and hogs, but is for ruminants, or animals with four chambered stomachs that chew a cud.
One of the advantages to using the distiller grain is it apparently has more protein than even conventional corn. According to Leber, a local rancher was feeding the distiller grain to his sheep and ran out, so used regular corn for a couple of days, and when he went back to the distiller grain he noticed the sheep had produced more milk with the latter.
It should be noted, though, there are drawbacks. Distiller grains have a high level of sulfur. Western South Dakota's water has high sulfates, which when coupled with the grains can cause polio in cattle. In addition, calcium phosphate is higher in the distiller grain. But it appears livestock producers like what they see in the feed.
Bob Orwick ranches on Sulfur Creek east of Newell, and uses the distiller grain as feed for his calves. "It works really well. There are some slight drawbacks like it is powdery, so it blows in the wind, but the livestock seem to do well on it," he said.
One thing that concerns him is the price of the feed, which seems to follow the price of corn.
Dave Leber has the same concerns, and commented he has mentioned to the ethanol plants that they need to consider the livestock producer, and try to keep the price reasonable, thus attractive as a feed. But that remains to be seen.