Which Soybean Meal For Dairy?

An 3 x 3 Latin square design experiment involving 24 dairy cows was conducted to compare three soybean meals processed with different techniques. Cows were fed a basal diet composed of 47 percent forage and 53 percent gain. The dietary treatments were solvent extracted soybean meal (SBM), extruded-expelled soybean meal (ESBM) and full-fat extruded soybean (FFSM). The soybean meal treatments were included at 11.2 percent of the dietary dry matter. The three diets contained equal amounts of energy, crude protein, fat, fiber and minerals. Results indicated that cows fed the three treatments had similar feed intake, milk yield, energy corrected milk (ECM) yield, ECM/feed intake, milk fat content, milk fat yield, milk protein yield and milk urea content. Milk protein content and yield were 2.84, 2.78 and 2.80 percent, and 1.03, 1.01 and 1.03 kg per day for the SBM. ESBM and FFSB, respectively. Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk was 0.54, 0.64 and 0.77 g per 100 g of fat in SBM, ESBM and FFSB, respectively. Due to the higher fat content of the ESBM (9.1%) and FFSB (20%) the diets containing these protein supplements had 0.4 and 0.8 percent less supplemental fat compared to the diet containing SBM. Using the value of supplemental fat at the rate of 77 cents per kg, the value of fat provided by ESBM and FFSB was 7.7 and 15.4 cents per cow per day, respectively. This suggests that the added value of ESBM and FFSB was 25 and 50 dollars per ton higher than SBM, respectively. These test results indicate that cows fed diets contain SBM, ESBM and FFSB supplements had similar milk yield responses when diets were balanced for net energy of lactation content. The authors recommended that the price of the protein supplement should be based on both protein quality and on fat content. Again, this study supports the time-tested concept that the use of the various protein sources in computer-formulated rations depend on three factors; availability of the protein ingredient, composition of the protein source and price of the protein ingredient.

Dhiman, T.R. J. 2002. Influence of soybean meal processing techniques on milk yield response of dairy cows. Dairy Sci. 85:Suppl. 1, abstract#978.