Leaderboard
Lowest cost per pound of TDN (energy)
A nutrient-cost screening board: every feedstuff ranked by cost per pound of TDN on a dry-matter basis, against the corn benchmark. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation.
Data through Oct 26, 2026 · source last checked Nov 5, 2026 · page revised Nov 3, 2026
Cite
- Corn (energy anchor)
- Soybean meal (protein anchor)
- DDGS
About this data
- Source
- USDA AMS feedstuffs board; corn and soybean meal benchmarks
- Series
- Feedstuffs ranked by cost per pound of energy (TDN)
- Basis
- Dry-matter basis
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- $/ton
- Calculation
- Weekly board
- Last observation
- Oct 26, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
Lowest cost per pound of TDN in the Oct 26, 2026 USDA report week is Corn (US #2 yellow) at $0.098 per lb of TDN, 100% of corn's cost. This is a price screen on a single nutrient, not a feeding recommendation. Data week of Oct 26, 2026, USDA feedstuffs board.
Corn sets the energy benchmark at $0.098 per pound of TDN in the Oct 26, 2026 USDA report week.
| Ingredient | $/ton | $/lb TDN | vs corn | $/lb protein | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn (US #2 yellow) | $152 | $0.098 | 100% | $0.911 | Benchmark grain |
| Wheat middlings | $143 | $0.101 | 103% | $0.440 | Grain co-product |
| Rice bran | $144 | $0.114 | 116% | $0.540 | Grain co-product |
| Wheat millrun | $155 | $0.115 | 117% | $0.507 | Grain co-product |
| Distillers dried grains (DDGS) | $188 | $0.119 | 121% | $0.355 | Grain co-product |
| Soybean hulls (loose) | $168 | $0.121 | 123% | $0.754 | Fiber and forage |
| Hominy feed | $245 | $0.151 | 154% | $1.184 | Grain co-product |
| Sunflower meal | $160 | $0.154 | 157% | $0.275 | Plant protein meal |
| Corn gluten feed | $221 | $0.158 | 160% | $0.516 | Grain co-product |
| Linseed meal | $250 | $0.180 | 183% | $0.365 | Plant protein meal |
| Safflower meal | $210 | $0.206 | 210% | $0.481 | Plant protein meal |
| Whole cottonseed (fuzzy) | $390 | $0.225 | 229% | $0.920 | Plant protein meal |
| Canola meal | $312 | $0.234 | 238% | $0.438 | Plant protein meal |
| Soybean meal | $352 | $0.241 | 245% | $0.369 | Plant protein meal |
| Meat and bone meal (ruminant) | $330 | $0.247 | 251% | $0.319 | Animal protein |
| Cottonseed meal | $323 | $0.249 | 253% | $0.393 | Plant protein meal |
| Corn gluten meal | $520 | $0.321 | 326% | $0.431 | Plant protein meal |
| Feather meal | $513 | $0.392 | 399% | $0.317 | Animal protein |
| Alfalfa meal | $435 | $0.396 | 403% | $1.306 | Fiber and forage |
| Cottonseed hulls | $550 | $0.720 | 732% | $4.510 | Fiber and forage |
| Blood meal (ruminant) | $1400 | $1.057 | 1075% | $0.809 | Animal protein |
Previous weeks
Week of Oct 19, 2026
Corn (US #2 yellow) stands at $0.101 per pound of TDN, the energy benchmark for the week of October 19, 2026.
Week of Oct 12, 2026
No new USDA AMS observations since the previous issue. Corn holds as the energy benchmark at $0.105 per pound of TDN, about $162/ton plant input cost. Rice bran follows at 106% of corn's cost per pound of TDN and wheat middlings at 109%. DDGS prices energy at 117% of corn's cost per pound of TDN on this week's board.
Week of Sep 28, 2026
No new energy prices have been published since the previous issue. Corn holds the benchmark at $0.109 per pound of TDN, plant input cost, dry-matter basis, per USDA AMS. Rice bran is at $0.110/lb TDN (101% of corn) and wheat millrun at $0.115/lb TDN (105%). DDGS is at 113% of corn's cost per pound of TDN at about $195/ton per USDA AMS, dry-matter basis.
Week of Sep 14, 2026
Hominy feed holds the energy leaderboard at $0.076 per pound of TDN, 67% of corn's cost on a dry-matter basis (FOB plant, USDA). Rice bran is just above corn parity at $0.113/lb TDN (101% of corn), FOB plant per USDA. No new USDA feedstuffs readings have been published since the prior issue. All figures carry forward from last week.
About Lowest cost per pound of TDN (energy)
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 in that report 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.