Effects of supplementation rate of an extruded dried distillers' grains cube fed to growing heifers on voluntary intake and digestibility of bermudagrass hay.

Our objectives were to 1) investigate the difference in chemical composition and disappearance kinetics between loose dried distillers' grains (DDG) and extruded DDG cubes and 2) evaluate the effects of supplementation rate of extruded DDG cubes on voluntary dry matter intake (DMI), rate and extent of digestibility, and blood parameters of growing beef heifers offered ad libitum bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay. To characterize the changes in chemical composition during the extrusion process, loose and extruded DDG were evaluated via near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, and dry matter (DM) disappearance kinetics were evaluated via time point in situ incubations. Extruded DDG cubes had greater (P ≤ 0.