Leaderboard
Cheapest feed energy this week
Every feedstuff ranked by cost per pound of TDN on a dry-matter basis, against the corn benchmark
Data through Jun 29, 2026 · page updated Jul 10, 2026
Cite
- Corn (energy anchor)
- Soybean meal (protein anchor)
- DDGS
Cheapest energy this week is Hominy feed at $0.076 per lb of TDN, 81% of corn's cost. Data week of Jun 29, 2026, USDA feedstuffs board.
| Ingredient | $/ton | $/lb TDN | vs corn | $/lb protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hominy feed | $123 | $0.076 | 81% | $0.592 |
| Soybean hulls | $125 | $0.090 | 96% | $0.560 |
| Corn (US #2 yellow) | $145 | $0.093 | 100% | $0.866 |
| Distillers dried grains (DDGS) | $155 | $0.098 | 105% | $0.292 |
| Wheat middlings | $145 | $0.103 | 110% | $0.448 |
| Rice bran | $139 | $0.110 | 118% | $0.521 |
| Wheat millrun | $158 | $0.117 | 125% | $0.515 |
| Sunflower meal | $143 | $0.137 | 147% | $0.245 |
| Corn gluten feed | $220 | $0.157 | 168% | $0.514 |
| Linseed meal | $223 | $0.161 | 172% | $0.325 |
| Safflower meal | $165 | $0.162 | 173% | $0.378 |
| Cottonseed meal | $273 | $0.210 | 225% | $0.332 |
| Soybean meal | $309 | $0.212 | 227% | $0.325 |
| Canola meal | $300 | $0.225 | 241% | $0.422 |
| Meat and bone meal | $331 | $0.248 | 265% | $0.320 |
| Whole cottonseed | $433 | $0.250 | 267% | $1.022 |
| Corn gluten meal | $459 | $0.283 | 303% | $0.380 |
| Feather meal | $413 | $0.316 | 338% | $0.255 |
| Alfalfa meal | $385 | $0.351 | 375% | $1.156 |
| Cottonseed hulls | $475 | $0.621 | 665% | $3.895 |
| Blood meal | $1013 | $0.764 | 817% | $0.585 |
About Cheapest feed energy this week
This is the calculation a dairy or feedlot nutritionist does by hand. Each ingredient's board price is converted to a cost per pound of crude protein and per pound of TDN on a dry-matter basis, then ranked against corn (the energy benchmark) and soybean meal (the protein benchmark). A feedstuff below 100% of soybean meal on protein, or below 100% of corn on energy, is delivering that nutrient cheaper than the benchmark this week. Nutrient coefficients are verified against named extension and NRC feed-composition tables (see methodology); an ingredient without a verified coefficient is priced but not scored, never given a guessed number. This ranks the board; it does not tell you what to feed. Effective fiber, palatability, handling and inclusion limits are the nutritionist's call, not a price table's.
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