Soybean meal livestock feed

Conventional livestock production systems can be very diverse and this diversity is influenced by economic, geographic, environmental and cultural factors. Conventional inputs for direct use in ruminant production include many types of plant feeds (i.e. forages, cereals, soybeans, etc.), industrial by-products (i.e. molasses, distiller s dried grain, meat bone meal, etc.), feed... 

Draganov (1986) reviewed findings on the utilization of brewers grains in poultry and livestock diets and concluded that it could be used as a partial substitute for wheat bran, soybean meal and sunflower seed meal in poultry diets, e.g. at levels up to 200g/kg in broiler diets. More recent research, however, has indicated that dried brewers grains caused a reduction in feed intake when included in broiler diets at more than lOOg/kg (Onifade and Babatunde, 1998). Results with laying hens indicated a reduction in body... 

The Ajnerican Soybean Association, of Hudson, Iowa, collects data on soybeans, soybean oil, soybean oil meal, lecithin, plywood glues, all livestock feeds, and any commodities using soybean products, for the following production, sales, foreign trade and markets, new equipment, and production facilities, all annually prices, daily and new product surveys as needed. In addition it publishes a monthly magazine. The Soybean Digest H). 

Since the mid-1990s, China dedicated itself to increasing its processing capacity. They shifted domestic policy to favor soybean meal for livestock feed, and soybean oil for human consumption. This policy causes China to import large quantities of soybeans, mostly from Brazil and the United States, to fuel its growing processing industry. Chinas demand combined with Brazil s relatively small-animal industry resulted in Brazil exporting 73% of the soybeans it produces (production + a small amount of imports), 48% in the form of meal and 52% as raw soybeans. 

About 98% of all soybean meal is used for livestock feed (Fig. 5.24). Feed utilization levels dip slightly during the summer when crush margins are at their worst and processors market soy protein to the higher valued soy food sector. 

Soybeans are an important source of edible oil, but many have argued that soybean is actually a protein crop because 60-70% of the returns in processing soybeans is due to the sale of meal (Table 11.1). No other oilseed contains as much protein. Thus, processes used to extract soybean oil are designed to maximize meal quality for use in livestock feeds. 

More than 97% of the available soybean meal is used for feed where extensive heat treatment is necessary to maximize feed conversion efficiency by livestock. Toasting inactivates protease inhibitors (especially trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors) and the enzyme urease, and improves protein digestibility. None of these objectives can be obtained without protein being denatured and loss in water solubility however, depending on the method used, meals with great differences in protein solubilities or dispersibilities can be produced. The optimum amount of heat treatment in toasting soybean meal is still debated among animal nutritionists. 

Table 11.7. Nutritional Characteristics of Soybean Meal for Livestock Feed [Source Feedstuffs, 75(3S) 16 (Sept. 17,2003)]...

Composition and Uses. Soybeans are distinguished from other oil crops in that they only yield approximately 21% oil but 40-50% protein. Because of the high content in proteins soybeans historically have been a protein rather than an oil seed crop. The market for soybean products is largely driven by soy meal applications, more particularly by the food and the livestock feed industries (Figures 9.1.15 and 9.1.16). The majority of soy protein is a... 

The principal seeds are peanuts (10,400,000 tons), cottonseed (13,-200,000 tons), and soybeans (18,900,000 tons). In the United States, the cottonseed and soybeans are sources of edible vegetable oil for production of cooking oils, shortenings, and oleomargarine. The oil-free residue of the vegetable oil industry is used as a livestock feed, and a small quantity of soybean meal is used in the manufacture of adhesives. Peanuts are used primarily as foods in the United States. Traditionally in areas of major production, except the United States, the oilseeds have been used as livestock feeds and exported to Europe. However, in recent years vegetable oil industries, similar to those in the United States and Europe, have been developed in other countries, particularly in India and South America. 

L-lysine is an alkali-amino acid that belongs to the aspartate branch in the biosynthesis of amino acids. It is an essential amino acid in animal nutrition. Many plant products used for livestock feed, such as wheat and com, are deficient in L-lysine, and thus, it must be added as a supplement in the form of soybean meal. The content of lysine in such products in comparison with soybean meal is shown in Table 2. 

If dehulling is employed, as is typical for plants in the United States, the meal will contain around 48% protein. Additionally, dehulhng reduces the fiber content of the meal by over 50%. In some plants, a portion of the soybean hulls may be added back to the meal prior to grinding to adjust and precisely control meal protein content. Livestock feeders are concerned about having uniform protein and fiber contents in order to formulate minimum-cost feeds for maximum feed efficiency. 

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