Eating soy beans??

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

I forget where i read that chickens should not eat soy beans. Well next to our 3 acre farm is a 20+ acre soy bean field. Most of the time my 20 week old pullets stay out of it and pretty close to home but they definitely spend some quality time foraging along the edge. Is this ok or should i make more efforts to keep them out?

 

[True Patriot]

It's ok. The farmer may have other thoughts though.
https://articles.extension.org/pages/67352/feeding-soybean-to-poultry

 

[Melky]

I forget where i read that chickens should not eat soy beans. Well next to our 3 acre farm is a 20+ acre soy bean field. Most of the time my 20 week old pullets stay out of it and pretty close to home but they definitely spend some quality time foraging along the edge. Is this ok or should i make more efforts to keep them out?

They can, it depends if you want them to or not. Some who feed organically do not like soybean in their birds diet so may feed soy free organic feed. Soybean that is GMO has been suspected of being responsible for food allergies and there are those that feel there are better proteins for their hens than soy. Soy has been linked to allergies in humans and dogs as well. Some dog foods are now no corn, wheat, or soy as believed to be common dog allergens. Soybean is often in chicken feed even organic feed unless you choose not to. It is estimated that approximately 80% of soybean market is GMO and nonGMO may be better but some just do not take a chance and will remove soy from the diet. There are organic feeds that offer no corn or soy but of course more expensive. Scratch and Peck is one. Corn is suspected to be more of a filler by some and there are better proteins out there for feed. It depends on what you believe or subscribe to.

 

[Melky]

They can, it depends if you want them to or not. Some who feed organically do not like soybean in their birds diet so may feed soy free organic feed. Soybean that is GMO has been suspected of being responsible for food allergies and there are those that feel there are better proteins for their hens than soy. Soy has been linked to allergies in humans and dogs as well. Some dog foods are now no corn, wheat, or soy as believed to be common dog allergens. Soybean is often in chicken feed even organic feed unless you choose not to. It is estimated that approximately 80% of soybean market is GMO and nonGMO may be better but some just do not take a chance and will remove soy from the diet. There are organic feeds that offer no corn or soy but of course more expensive. Scratch and Peck is one. Corn is suspected to be more of a filler by some and there are better proteins out there for feed. It depends on what you believe
or subscribe to.

Just to add, I think you probably should keep them out of it just because it is not your property and the owner may take exception to the neighbors eating his soybean.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I highly doubt chickens or any animal are going to willing eat soy beans on the plant.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

I have soybeans on my farm, and my chickens are in them all the time. They nip at the leaves and buds, but no more so than the deer do. They mostly eat the infestation of bugs (grasshoppers, crickets, worms, etc) which I see it as a benefit more so than what little the chickens will eat.

 

[Mosey2003]

I would hope they wouldn't eat the actual beans. The issue is that soy needs to be roasted before being fed to livestock. Hopefully they're just foraging bugs out there.