Effects of Soybean Meal Particle Size

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of grinding corn and soybean meal on phosphorus utilization in turkey poults. The corn-soybean meal-based diets were formulated to contain 1.2 percent calcium and calculated to contain 0.40 or 0.48 percent nonphytate phosphorus. Corn and the commercial soybean meal were processed to different particles sizes. In the first experiment, when the poults were fed the 0.40 percent nonphytate phosphorus diet, phosphorus utilization was improved as corn particle size was increased as measured by the incidence of rickets, tibia ash and total phosphorus retention. In the second experiment, when the higher level of nonphytate phosphorus was fed, lower levels of rickets were observed. The researchers concluded that these studies show that young poults can utilize phosphorus better from coarser ground corn and soybean meal, especially when dietary phosphorus is low.

Charbeneau, R.A. and K.D. Roberson. 2005. Effect of corn and soybean particle size on phosphorus use in turkey poults. J. Applied Poultry Res. 13(2): 302-310.