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The usefulness of any feed ingredient is dependent on several factors. The three most important are nutrient composition, availability and price. Since the mid-1950's, nutritionists have been programing the computer with information on these three factors to calculate the value of various feed ingredients.
The complementary relationship between soy products and cereal grains in meeting the animal's nutritional requirements has rapidly expanded soy product use. Soybean meal is the dominant supplemental protein source in U.S. livestock and poultry rations. Heat-processed full-fat soybeans and soybean hulls are valuable feed ingredients often used when their price allows inclusion in rations.
This paper will discuss the use of soybean meal in livestock, poultry and aquaculture diets. No attempt will be made to develop a comprehensive review of more than seventy years of research that support the feeding value of soybean products. Rather, research will be highlighted which supports soybean products' premier position between protein ingredients and their extensive use in livestock and poultry diets.
