Broiler Fed Enzyme-Supplemented Soybean Meal
A broiler study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a commercial alpha-galactosidase enzyme.  A corn-soybean meal diet was formulated with 0, 45, 90, 135 or 180 galactosidase units per kg of soybean meal.  Each diet was fed to eight replicate pens of 30 birds.  Results indicated that body weight, feed efficiency and mortality at 24, 35, and 42 days of age were not significantly (>0.05) affected by treatment.  The researchers indicated that enzyme supplementation of a standard corn-soybean meal broiler diet did not improve broiler performance in this study.

Waldroup, P.W. and co-workers.  2006.  The effect of levels of alpha-galactosidase enzyme on performance of broilers fed diets based on corn and soybean meal.  J. Applied Poultry Research 15(1): 48-57

Soybean Meal-Stachyose
A study was conducted to determine whether the oligosaccharide stachyose enhances gastrointestinal tract health by fermentation that improves the growth of desirable bacteria species and the growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broilers.  The study involved 42-day experiment with 12 replications of six birds per pen fed a corn-based diet supplemented with 0, 4, 8, 12, or 16g/kg stachyose.  Results indicated that stachyose levels above 12g/kg depressed pen weights, daily gain and feed/gain, but not feed intake during the 42-day experiment.  Increasing stachyose tended to reduce nutrient digestibility, however, had no beneficial effect on caecal pH or the microflora population.

Jiang, H.Q. and co-workers.  2006.  Effect of stachyose supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and caecal fermentation characteristics of broilers.  Br. Poultry Sci. 47(4): 516-522.

Full-Fat Soybean Meal for Layers
A study was conducted to evaluate the level of full-fat soybeans that could be included in layer diets.  Diets were formulated with 0, 10, 16 and 22 percent full-fat soybeans and fed to laying hens during the peak production (33-42 wks of age).  Results indicated that egg production, shell weight, shell thickness, albumen height or cracked egg percentage were not significantly affected by dietary treatments.  The hens on the full-fat soybean diets tended to significantly consume less feed than hens receiving the control diet.  Feed conversion ratios were significantly improved in the treatments containing full-fat soybean meal.  Ratios of 1.87, 1.79, 1.80 and 1.80 feed to egg ratios were reported for the diets containing 1, 10, 16, and 22 percent full-fat soybeans.  The researchers concluded that levels of full-fat soybeans could be included in layer diets up to 22 percent.

Senkoylu, N. and co-workers.  2005.  Use of high levels of full-fat soybeans in layer diets.  J. Applied Poultry Research 14(1): 32-37.

Dairy Studies
Research at the University of Wisconsin studied the amount and ruminal degradability of soybean meal protein on performance of lactating dairy cows.  Twenty-eight cows were used to compare three crude protein levels (15.6, 16.6 & 17.6%) and two sources of soybean meal (solvent-extracted, and expeller-processed).  The diet was composed on a dry-weight basis 20% alfalfa silage, 35% corn silage, 45% concentrate mainly from high-moisture corn and soybean meal.  A Latin square designed study was used with 14 days for diet adaptation and a 14-day collection period.  Results indicated no effects of the diet on most of the production traits measured.  Increasing the crude protein content of the diet from 16.6% to 17.6% increased urinary nitrogen excretion, reduced the apparent conversion of dietary nitrogen to milk nitrogen, and had no effect on milk production.  Under the conditions of this trial, milk production was not improved by feeding rumen-undegraded protein from expelled soybean meal or greater amounts of rumen-degraded from solvent-extracted soybean meal.

Colmenero, J.J. and G.A. Broderick.  2006.  Effect of amount and ruminal degradability of soybean meal protein on performance of lactating dairy cows.  J. Dairy Sci. 89(5): 1635-1643.