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Green Soybeans Can Be Used for Livestock Diets
Although frost-damaged or green soybeans are likely to be rejected by processors, they can be used in livestock diets.
The green pigment, or chlorophyll, remains in the oil and in the meal, making them undesirable to processors, but it doesn't matter at all to livestock.
Research at South Dakota State University indicates raw, frost-damaged soybeans should be limited to less than 14 percent of the diet dry matter to avoid negative effects from the amount of oil or enzyme inhibitors present in the raw soybeans. In the research, lambs fed higher levels of soybeans in corn-silage based diets had lower fiber digestibility because of the high oil levels.
Whole soybeans are high in oil content, about 18 percent, which will limit the amount a producer can include in ruminant rations. Fat or oil tends to reduce fiber digestibility and animal performance when fed at high levels. Keeping the level of whole soybeans less than 14 percent of the ration should be adequate to avoid any problems associated with fat level in the diet. As a general rule, keep added fat in ruminant diets from any oilseed below 2.5 to 3 percent.
Although whole soybeans do not need to be ground or rolled before feeding them to cattle or sheep, processing them in some way may make feed mixing easier and prevent livestock from sorting through feeds. In warm weather, only process the amount which will be fed in seven to 10 days, since warm temperatures can cause the processed beans to become rancid.
A laboratory test will help determine the nutrient content of frost-damaged soybeans. The biggest challenge in feeding damaged crops is the variability in nutrient content. A test will help you formulate a more accurate ration.
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