U.S. soybean meal’s nutritional bundle goes well beyond crude protein, which is why it’s such an excellent feed ingredient for poultry, swine and other livestock, says a soy-checkoff-funded feed researcher. In fact, he says, soybean meal has been a primary source of supplemental amino acids in animal feeds for more than 50 years.
“The U.S. has been providing high-quality soybean meal that contains the limiting amino acids needed in poultry and swine feeds,” explains Nick Bajjalieh, Ph.D. Soybean meal is used to complement the nutrient characteristics of other feed ingredients to achieve the targeted nutrient levels in the final feed produced.”
The balance of amino acids in soybean meal drives its use in feeds, but other characteristics offer value to customers as well. In a recent webinar from the United Soybean Board, Bajjalieh also discussed soybean meal’s ability to contribute nutritionally available energy, vitamins and minerals to an animal-feed ration.
In order to continue to provide customers with high-quality soybean meal containing the important amino acids needed for poultry and swine feeds, Bajjalieh advises U.S. farmers to stay ahead of competitors by selecting high-quality soybean varieties.
“There is stiff competition from other feed sources,” says Bajjalieh, “but other sources do not support optimum health and growth. Therefore, there is a need for other supplemental sources of amino acids, which U.S. soybean meal can provide.”
Source : unitedsoybean.org