Spreads
DDGS vs corn spread
Distillers dried grains (DDGS) 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
- Distillers dried grains (DDGS)
- Corn (US #2 yellow)
About this data
- Source
- Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices
- Series
- DDGS vs corn
- Basis
- Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- $/ton
- Calculation
- Weekly
- Last observation
- Aug 17, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
Distillers dried grains (DDGS) is $7/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.
DDGS is $7 a ton over corn as-fed. Corn is the cheaper energy source at $0.105 per pound of TDN versus $0.107 for DDGS, but DDGS is far cheaper on protein at $0.318 per pound of crude protein versus $0.973 for corn.
| Measure | Distillers dried grains (DDGS) | Corn (US #2 yellow) | Difference (Distillers dried grains (DDGS) − Corn (US #2 yellow)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price, $/ton as-fed | $169 | $163 | +$7 |
| Price, $/ton dry matter | $188 | $185 | +$3 |
| Cost per lb crude protein | $0.318 | $0.973 | -$0.655 |
| Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.107 | $0.105 | +$0.002 |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 10, 2026
DDGS is the cheaper source of crude protein this week at $0.310 per pound against corn's $0.922. Corn holds the energy edge at $0.099 per pound of TDN versus DDGS at $0.104. On a dry-matter basis DDGS trades $8 per ton over corn.
An earlier week
DDGS is the cheaper protein source this week, at $0.309 per pound of crude protein versus corn's $0.922, or 33 percent of corn's cost. Corn is the cheaper energy source, at $0.099 per pound of TDN versus DDGS's $0.104.
An earlier week
DDGS runs $9/ton over corn as-fed but $6/ton over on dry matter. On crude protein, DDGS costs 33 percent of corn's price per pound. Corn edges DDGS by $0.003 per pound of TDN.
About DDGS 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 Distillers dried grains (DDGS) 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. DDGS and corn are not interchangeable pound for pound. DDGS carries its energy as fat and digestible fiber rather than corn's starch, and it is high in sulfur. University of Minnesota Extension advises keeping feedlot diets under about 0.30 to 0.40 percent dietary sulfur to avoid polioencephalomalacia, which caps how far DDGS can replace corn. Protein rides along too, so DDGS is rarely a straight energy swap. 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.