soybean meal vs ground soybean

[shadyhollownj]

Ok I went to my local mill today and talked to the guy there about soybeans. He said ground soybean would be better to put in a steer and pig ration than soybean meal because it has more fat in it from the oil. I know they are different protien contents of 48 and 38 but I have no clue as to which one is better. They are both the same price a cwt at 23.00. I would think the meal because I am getting ten more pounds of protien. Thanks for any help.

 

[upfrombottom]

Soybean meal is ground from soybeans that have been ran through a press to get the oil out. I have used it added to corn and milo that I grind myself, for the protein content. You have to be carefull as to how much soybean you are feeding to hogs. I usually only add about 10 to 15 percent to the mix though others may add more.

 

[fargus]

For the steers it doesn't matter. Balance your ration and figure which one is more cost effective. Don't look at just the cost of the soybeans or soybean meal, but take into account how much corn you are "bumping" from the ration by including one or the other.

For the pigs beware the ground soybeans, unless they have been roasted. Soybeans contain trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors. In laymen's talk, they contain enzymes that inhibit protein digestion. Roasting the soybeans destroys those enzymes, and allows monogastrics (pigs and chickens) to utilize the protein contained in the bean. The industrial crushing process also destroys those enzymes, so soybean meal is fine to feed to simple stomached animals.

Most research I have seen shows that the microbes in the rumen are able to break down the trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibiting enzymes, so feeding whole soybeans to ruminants (assuming you aren't feeding obscene amounts) is fine.

Remember, there is still fat and oil in the meal, so the key is balancing the whole ration to see what is going to work best (animal performance) and be most cost effective. ($/pound of gain)

 

[TexasBred]

For the steers it doesn't matter. Balance your ration and figure which one is more cost effective. Don't look at just the cost of the soybeans or soybean meal, but take into account how much corn you are "bumping" from the ration by including one or the other.For the pigs beware the ground soybeans, unless they have been roasted. Soybeans contain trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors. In laymen's talk, they contain enzymes that inhibit protein digestion. Roasting the soybeans destroys those enzymes, and allows monogastrics (pigs and chickens) to utilize the protein contained in the bean. The industrial crushing process also destroys those enzymes, so soybean meal is fine to feed to simple stomached animals.

Most research I have seen shows that the microbes in the rumen are able to break down the trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibiting enzymes, so feeding whole soybeans to ruminants (assuming you aren't feeding obscene amounts) is fine.

Remember, there is still fat and oil in the meal, so the key is balancing the whole ration to see what is going to work best (animal performance) and be most cost effective. ($/pound of gain)

Soybean meal does not "bump" corn from the ration and should never be used to replace corn. It supplements the corn in order to allow a higher protein ration with a "proper" amount of corn. Bean meal has neglible fat content as the meal is only a by-product of the soyoil rendering process. If your ration needs more fat add soy, corn, or canola oil to the ration. Look at alternative protein sources as well as bean meal is very expensive at this time. Sunflower, canola or cottonseed meal might be a better alternative.

 

[fargus]

Assuming you are feeding a "proper" amount of corn to begin with, and not filling your cattle full, then you would only be adding the soybean meal. If, however you have been feeding just corn with a source of roughage than when you balance the ration you may find that the amount of corn you are feeding per day goes down. The roasted soybeans, or soybean meal does contribute energy to the ration, and that shouldn't be forgotten when balancing the total ration.

 

[novaman]

If you are going to use either soybean meal or ground soybean I would choose the meal. You stated that both are 23 cents per pound. The meal, IMO, is the better buy because of the extra protein. You can throw in some corn for under 7 cents per pound to get your added energy that you would have gotten from the ground soybeans.

 

[TexasBred]

Shady you didn't mention what you planned to feed these beans or bean mill to....bred cattle, small calves, larger calves, steers, show calves, etc. etc., nor what you were shooting for. Feeding regimens vary depending on what you're feeding and what the plan is.

 

[shadyhollownj]

Thanks for the comments. As far as feeding it is for steers for the last month on feed. They have been on cracked corn for two months. The remainder of the feed I have mixed is going to be given at a few pounds a day to young replacement heifers and steers not yet on full feed. Also the main objective was to mix feed for a few large black gilts I purchased but now that I found out the guy at the milll screwed me by telling me it was better for them since the ground has more fat I am reluctent to feed it to them. My neighbor raises pigs and he said you should not feed ground soybean only soybean meal to pigs.
I mixed 300# ground soybean, 50 mineral, and 1700# corn about a 12% mix I figured. Thanks.

 

[TexasBred]

Sounds like the neighbor is a much better consultant than the feed man. :lol: i'd increase the soybean meal up to about 450 for those pigs and get my protein on up toward 18% then lower it as they get closer to finishing.