Spreads
Corn gluten feed vs corn spread
Corn gluten feed versus Corn (US #2 yellow): the raw $/ton spread, on a dry-matter basis, and on cost per pound of protein and energy
Data through Aug 17, 2026 · source last checked Aug 27, 2026 · page revised Aug 27, 2026
Cite
- Corn gluten feed
- Corn (US #2 yellow)
About this data
- Source
- Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices
- Series
- Corn gluten feed vs corn
- Basis
- Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- $/ton
- Calculation
- Weekly
- Last observation
- Aug 17, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
Corn gluten feed is $40/ton over Corn (US #2 yellow) on a raw as-fed basis, but on the nutrient that matters here Corn (US #2 yellow) is the cheaper source of a pound of TDN (energy) this week. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation.
Corn (US #2 yellow) is the cheaper source of TDN (energy) this week at $0.105 per pound versus corn gluten feed at $0.144 per pound. Corn gluten feed is the cheaper source of crude protein at $0.473 per pound versus corn's $0.973, but sits $40 per ton higher on an as-fed basis.
| Measure | Corn gluten feed | Corn (US #2 yellow) | Difference (Corn gluten feed − Corn (US #2 yellow)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price, $/ton as-fed | $203 | $163 | +$40 |
| Price, $/ton dry matter | $225 | $185 | +$40 |
| Cost per lb crude protein | $0.473 | $0.973 | -$0.500 |
| Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.144 | $0.105 | +$0.039 |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 10, 2026
Corn gluten feed is $49 per ton over corn on an as-fed basis, or $50 on a dry-matter basis. Gluten feed undercuts corn at $0.473 per pound of crude protein versus $0.922, but corn is cheaper on energy at $0.099 per pound of TDN against $0.144 for gluten feed.
An earlier week
Corn gluten feed is 49 percent cheaper than corn on crude protein this week at $0.47 per pound versus $0.92. Corn is the cheaper energy source at $0.099 per pound of TDN versus $0.144. Corn gluten feed costs $50/ton more on a dry-matter basis.
An earlier week
Corn gluten feed is the cheaper protein source this week, running at $0.47 per pound of CP versus corn's $0.93 per pound of CP on a dry-matter basis. Corn is the cheaper energy source at $0.10 per pound of TDN against corn gluten feed's $0.14 per pound of TDN. The $48-per-ton as-fed premium for corn gluten feed reflects its higher protein content.
About Corn gluten feed vs corn spread
A raw $/ton spread is the starting point, not the answer. Two feeds at the same $/ton can deliver very different amounts of protein and energy per ton of dry matter, so the table above also shows each feed on a dry-matter basis and as a cost per pound of crude protein and per pound of TDN, the same math the nutrient-cost screening board runs.
Basis: Corn (US #2 yellow) is the national Grain Co-Products plant input cost, while Corn gluten feed is a fob plant feedstuff quote. Those are close but not identical bases, so treat the raw $/ton gap as indicative and add your own freight for a delivered comparison.
Nutritional limits. Corn gluten feed carries energy near corn's on high-forage diets, but as fiber rather than starch, so its value drops in high-grain rations. Mississippi State University Extension notes it should stay under about half of dry-matter intake, is low in calcium, and its sulfur can cause polioencephalomalacia in growing calves. This is a price screen on one or two nutrients, not a feeding recommendation: inclusion rates, amino-acid balance, effective fiber and palatability are the nutritionist's call, not a price table's.