Chickens and soybeans?

[Caleb999]

I have some extra soybeans, and I'm wondering if hens can eat them. If anyone has any pros or cons, I would love to hear them.
Thanks

 

[drsteik84]

I'd be interested to know too. A couple years ago we fed our chickens some soy feed for a couple weeks and didn't notice any adverse effects. However, I don't know if you were to do it continuously if there are any long term benefits or harm.

 

[abenardini]

Since the soybean contains enzyme inhibitors that interfere with normal digestion, they have to be processed (cooked) like any other legume prior to feeding to poultry. I was curious myself and found MI state has done some notation on the subject.

http://msucares.com/poultry/feeds/poultry_soybeans.html

 

[abenardini]

But then, you have other institutions that have analyzed the soybean and state you should not ever feed it to poultry.

http://waddl.vetmed.wsu.edu/docs/li...o-bad-about-soybean-presentation.pdf?sfvrsn=2

 

[drsteik84]

But then, you have other institutions that have analyzed the soybean and state you should not ever feed it to poultry.

http://waddl.vetmed.wsu.edu/docs/li...o-bad-about-soybean-presentation.pdf?sfvrsn=2

That article has a lot of inaccuracies in it though. I would hesitate to trust it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me Abenardini’s link ( http://waddl.vetmed.wsu.edu/docs/li...o-bad-about-soybean-presentation.pdf?sfvrsn=2 ) is a summary of pros and cons from an internet research.

I believe Plate 12 gives Dr. Hermes conclusion from that search.

Conclusion:
Research consensus is that Soy is safe.
Reality:
There will always be skeptics of technology

Plate 10 has this quote, talking about broilers.

“Chicken (sic) are GENETICALLY MODIFIED with hormones, carcinogens, GMOs, corn pills, arsenic and drugs so they become LARGER FASTER and as a result they often CRIPPLE under their own weights”

That is so false it’s not even funny. Genetically modifying chickens with corn pills? Really? Where do people come up with this stuff? The other stuff is also false. Yet people will believe anything they want to believe. Commercial broilers and commercial egg laying hybrids were developed by selective breeding, not GMO technology. That is unless you consider selective breeding to be Genetic Modification. Practically everything you eat that is labelled Non-GMO has been developed by selective breeding. Fruits, vegetables, meats. That’s why you have so many different varieties of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, apples, and different breeds of cattle.

Caleb, in my opinion the soybeans are safe. I would use them. I don’t know what volume you have but I’d feed them in moderation like any other treat. What is moderation? Treats should form no more than 10% of their daily diet or you upset their “balanced diet”. How do you measure 10%? Good question. A rule of thumb is that they can clean it up in about 15 minutes. You are going to have to do some guessing.

I would follow Abenardini’s first link to the Mississippi State article and cook them first. That’s a reasonable precaution.