Soybean Hulls Used For Fiber-Rich Animal Feed

Soybean Hulls Used For Fiber-Rich Animal Feed Once considered an agricultural byproduct, soybean hulls are increasingly popular as a feed supplement for cows and other ruminants. Soyhulls, as they’re commonly called, are the byproduct of processing soybeans for meal and oil production. The hulls themselves make up 8% of the bean.  Soyhulls generally do not require special processing, although they contain an enzyme called urease that can be problematic when mixed with urea-containing rations. Heat treatment reduces that risk, and the resulting soybean hulls are known as soybean mill run, soybean flakes or soy bran flakes. One pound of soybean hulls is equivalent to 1.4 lbs. of hay, and they work on a pound-for-pound basis with corn. Soyhulls also mix well with molasses, creating a cost-effective way to finish beef cattle. Some manufacturers grind the hulls and add them to feed mixes for supplemental use. This makes them an excellent supplement for pasture diets, especially when low-quality forage is used, as they enhance overall diet digestibility and can lower the risk of acidosis. In fact, the hulls are a nearly perfect feed for ruminants like sheep and goats. They’re a readily fermentable source of digestible fiber, which is essential for maintaining rumen health. This potential has led to many experiments replacing hay with soybean hulls for winter feeding. One study found that cows fed 4 lbs. of soybean hulls daily from December through March saved over 600 lbs. of hay and had significantly less weight loss than those fed hay alone. Soyhulls provide flexibility because they can be fed whole, ground, or pelleted. Whole hulls are lightweight and tend to blow in commodity barns or during loading in windy conditions. Therefore, they’re often ground to reduce surface area. Turning them into dense pellets improves transportation and minimizes the chance of hulls blowing out of storage bins. When soyhulls are pelleted, they have higher bulk density and are easier to transport and store without losing nutritional value.  Some animals may choke if they eat seed hulls too quickly. Most should clear the blockage on their own, but fatalities are still possible. You can reduce the risk by mixing the hulls with other feed or by wetting them before offering. Also, soy hulls contain phytoestrogens, specifically isoflavones, but only 25% of the amount found in the whole bean. 

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