Spreads
Wheat middlings vs corn spread
Wheat middlings 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
- Wheat middlings
- Corn (US #2 yellow)
About this data
- Source
- Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices
- Series
- Wheat middlings vs corn
- Basis
- Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- $/ton
- Calculation
- Weekly
- Last observation
- Aug 17, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
Wheat middlings is $28/ton under Corn (US #2 yellow) on a raw as-fed basis, but on the nutrient that matters here Wheat middlings is the cheaper source of a pound of TDN (energy) this week. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation.
Wheat middlings is $28/ton under Corn (US #2 yellow) on an as-fed basis through August 17. On energy, wheat middlings costs $0.096 per pound of TDN against corn's $0.105, making it the cheaper source of energy this week.
| Measure | Wheat middlings | Corn (US #2 yellow) | Difference (Wheat middlings − Corn (US #2 yellow)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price, $/ton as-fed | $135 | $163 | -$27 |
| Price, $/ton dry matter | $152 | $185 | -$33 |
| Cost per lb crude protein | $0.417 | $0.973 | -$0.556 |
| Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.096 | $0.105 | -$0.009 |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 10, 2026
Wheat middlings prices at $130/ton as-fed, $24/ton under corn. Wheat middlings is the cheaper source of a pound of TDN this week, at $0.092 per pound against corn's $0.099. On protein, the advantage widens: wheat middlings at $0.401 per pound of crude protein versus corn's $0.922.
An earlier week
Wheat middlings is the cheaper source of a pound of TDN this week at $0.092 per pound, $0.007 under corn. On protein, the spread widens to $0.401 per pound of crude protein for wheat middlings against $0.922 per pound for corn. The raw spread favors wheat middlings by $24 per ton as-fed and $29 per ton on a dry-matter basis.
An earlier week
Wheat middlings is $25 a ton under corn as-fed, $30 on a dry-matter basis. It is the cheaper protein source at 43 percent of corn's cost per pound of crude protein and the cheaper energy source at 92 percent of corn's cost per pound of TDN.
About Wheat middlings 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 Wheat middlings 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. Wheat middlings supply energy and protein but as fiber, not starch, so their energy is more variable and generally below corn's. They are also high in phosphorus relative to calcium, which has to be balanced; Mississippi State University Extension covers the mill feeds for cattle. 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.