Effects of Crude Glycerin on
Performance and Carcass
Traits of Feedlot Heifers
Garrett Parsons
Kansas State University
www.pioneer.com
Biodiesel Plants in Production
www.biodiesel.org
US Biodiesel Production
• Has the ability to produce 1.85 billion
gallons of biodiesel per year
• At maximum production, the industry
will produce 185 million gallons of
glycerin
• Projected the biodiesel industry will
produce 1.4 billion pounds of glycerin
between 2006 and 2015
Glycerin Use
• Current glycerin use is between 400
and 450 million pounds
• Domestic production without biodiesel
plants was at 400 million pounds
• Glycerin Price
– Historic price between $0.20 and $0.25/lb
– Our glycerin cost was $0.088/lb
D. Nilles, 2006
Glycerin
• Derived from animal
fats and plant oils
• Fat/Oil = 90% fatty
acids and 10%
glycerin
• Readily available
Crude Glycerin
Materials and Methods
• Crossbred Heifers (n=373, 929.5 ± 63 lbs)
• 6 dietary treatments
– 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16% glycerin
• Concrete surfaced pens
– 6 to 7 head per pen
– 9 pens per treatment
• Cattle fed ad libitum once daily
• Methanol content of glycerin < 0.001%
Rations, %DM
Treatment
Ingredient, %DM
Control
2%
4%
8%
12%
16%
Steam-Flaked Corn
82.6
80.2
77.8
73.0
68.2
63.4
Corn Steep Liquor
5.7
5.7
5.7
5.7
5.7
5.7
Alfalfa Hay
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
Crude Soybased Glycerin
0.0
2.0
4.0
8.0
12.0
16.0
Protein/Mineral Mixa
3.6
4.1
4.5
5.2
6.0
6.8
Feed Additiveb
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
DM
81.04
81.16
81.27
81.50
81.74
81.98
CP
14.9
14.9
14.8
14.7
14.6
14.5
Ca
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
P
0.30
0.30
0.30
0.30
0.30
0.30
Nutrients
aFormulated
to provide 0.1 ppm Co; 10 ppm Cu; 0.6 ppm I; 60 ppm Mn;
Mn; 0.25 ppm Se; 60 ppm Zn; 1.0% K; 2,640 IU/kg vitamin A; and
220 IU/kg vitamin E.
bFeed
additive premix was formulated to provide 300 mg monensin,
monensin, 90 mg tylosin,
tylosin, and 0.5 mg melengestrol acetate per heifer daily.
Additionally, ractopamineractopamine-HCl was included at 200 mg per d for the final 42 d prior to slaughter.
slaughter.
0% Glycerin
12% Glycerin
Live Performance
Contrastsb
% Crude Glycerin
Item
0
2
4
8
12
16
SEM
Initial, lbs
930
930
929
930
930
929
8.95
-
-
Finala, lbs
1153
1181
1170
1164
1148
1121
11.4
*
*
DMI, lbs
19.49
19.57
19.09
18.98
18.52
17.19
0.3
*
*
ADG, lbs
2.63
2.96
2.85
2.76
2.58
2.26
0.20
*
*
F:G
7.41
6.61
6.67
6.88
7.18
7.61
0.02
-
*
aCalculated
by dividing HCW by a common dressing percentage of 63.5%
bContrasts,
* P < 0.05
Lin Quad
Carcass Traits
Contrastsb
% Crude Glycerin
0
2
4
8
12
16
SEM
Lin
Quad
HCW, lbs
732
746
744
740
730
712
10.2
*
*
Dressing %
62.9
64.1
64.2
63.3
63.4
63.6
7.31
-
-
LM area, in2
12.88
13.38
13.02
12.82
12.66
12.62
0.24
*
-
KPH, %
2.24
2.21
2.19
2.24
2.20
2.19
0.04
-
-
S.C fat, in
0.48
0.43
0.46
0.46
0.46
0.40
0.02
*
-
Liver abscess%
11.1
6.6
17.7
9.5
4.7
17.7
4.1
-
-
Item
bContrasts,
* P < 0.05, † P = 0.10
USDA Quality and Yield Grade
Contrastsb
% Crude Glycerin
Item
16
SEM
2.55 2.54
2.29
0.09
-
-
*
1.6
0.0
0.0
1.6
1.28
-
-
-
50.3
57.4
42.9 52.3
37.3
6.11
†
-
-
43.12 46.6
37.8
53.9 46.0
57.9
5.58
†
-
-
0
2
4
2.50
2.35
2.52
% Prime
3.1
0.0
% Choice
53.7
% Select
Yield Grade
8
12
Lin Quad
Cubic
Quality Grade
No Roll
Marbling Scorea
aMarbling
0.0
3.1
3.1
3.1
1.6
3.1
1.72
-
-
-
435
405
416
398
410
397
9.67
*
-
-
scores; slight=300-399, small=400-499, modest=500-599.
bContrasts,
* P < 0.05, † P = 0.10
Glycerin with Co-products
• 10% Glycerin with DRC
– Increased ADG by 11.4%
– Improved feed efficiency
by 21.9%
– Decreased DMI by 8.1%
• 10% Glycerin with DRC,
30% DDGS, and 15%
Soyhulls
– Increased ADG by 2.5%
– Improved feed efficiency
by 16.4%
– Decreased DMI by 11.8%
Pyatt et al., 2007
Glycerol Affects Microbial Fermentation
In Vitro
Vitro Gas
Gas Production,
Production, mL
mL
In
300
300
250
250
200
200
150
150
100
100
00
88
16
16
24
24
32
32
40
40
48
48
Glycerol
Glycerol Level,
Level, %
%of
of total
total carbohydrate
carbohydrate
56
56
64
64
Conclusion
• Including glycerin up to 8% improves
– ADG
– Efficiencies
– HCW
– Minimal effects on marbling
• Significant improvements in growth
were achieved at 2% glycerin
• Be cautious of methanol in glycerin