Soybean Meal for Cattle 10-7-25

To make soybean meal for cattle, whole soybeans must be processed to remove or inactivate anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitors and urease, using methods such as extrusion cooking or roasting. After heating, the oil is mechanically pressed out, and the remaining press cake is ground into a meal with high protein content. This processed meal is then mixed with other ingredients to create a balanced feed ration for cattle.  

1. Pre-treatment

• Cleaning and Drying: Soybeans are first cleaned and dried to remove any foreign material and reduce moisture content. 
• Dehulling and Cracking:  The outer hulls are separated from the beans, and the beans are then cracked into smaller pieces to expose the interior for processing. 

2. Heating (Inactivating Anti-nutritional Factors) 

Extrusion Cooking: Soybeans are fed through an extruder, a machine with a rotating screw that creates high heat through friction. This high heat-short time (HTST) process disrupts the soybean's structure and inactivates anti-nutritional factors. 

Roasting: Whole soybeans can be roasted in a controlled manner until they are a light brown color. Consistency in temperature and time is crucial to avoid burning, which can reduce nutrient content, or using too little heat, which leaves anti-nutritional factors active. 

3. Oil Extraction 

• Mechanical Pressing: After heating, the soybeans are passed through a mechanical screw press. The rotating screw within the barrel separates the soybean oil from the meal, leaving behind a press cake.

4. Finishing

• Grinding: The press cake, which has a significantly reduced oil content, is then cooled and ground into a fine meal. 
• Hulling (Optional): For solvent-extracted meal, dehulled and extracted flakes are dried and ground into meal. 

5. Incorporating into Feed Rations

• Blending: The resulting soybean meal is then mixed with other grains like corn and oats, and supplements like salt and minerals, to create a balanced feed for cattle. 
• Balancing Protein Content: The goal is to create a feed with an appropriate protein percentage for the cattle, often using tools like the Pearson square to balance the mix of ingredients. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+make+soybean+meal+for+cattle&

May 2025 Forecast: The USDA forecast the soybean meal price at $310 per short ton, which is approximately 15.5 cents per pound. 

August 2025 Forecast: The USDA later lowered this forecast to $280 per short ton, which is approximately 14 cents per pound. 

These are USDA forecasts for the entire 2025-26 marketing year, not current market prices, which fluctuate daily. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+price+of+soybean+meal+per+pound+in+2025

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader