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# 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 24, 2026 · source last checked Sep 3, 2026 · page revised Sep 3, 2026_

> Corn gluten feed is $28/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 gluten feed costs $28/ton over corn as-fed. On crude protein, gluten feed is $0.473/lb versus $1.044/lb for corn. Corn is cheaper on energy at $0.113/lb TDN versus $0.144/lb for gluten feed.

## The numbers

| Measure | Corn gluten feed | Corn (US #2 yellow) | Difference (Corn gluten feed − Corn (US #2 yellow)) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Price, $/ton as-fed | $203 | $174 | +$28 |
| Price, $/ton dry matter | $225 | $198 | +$27 |
| Cost per lb crude protein | $0.473 | $1.044 | -$0.571 |
| Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.144 | $0.113 | +$0.032 |

## 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](https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/feedstuffs-for-beef-cattle) 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.

## 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 period: Weekly
- Last observation: Aug 24, 2026
- Update frequency: Weekly

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Cite: Corn gluten feed vs corn is n/a on a $/ton as-fed basis as of Aug 24, 2026 (USDA feedstuffs board). The Ration. https://the-ration.com/spread/corn-gluten-feed-vs-corn
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