Soya meal

Soyabean meal is a concentrated source of protein and energy and is lower in crude fiber than most other oilseed meals. The higher protein, energy and lower fiber content of soybean meal enable formulation of diets which are proven more efficient in the conversion of feed to meat in for most livestock. 

Soyabean meal is available in two grades.  Both meals are produced following the same basic process - the only difference being that the 44% has some hulls blended back.  Dehulled 47% protein soyameal is preferred by most nutritionists who wish to achieve a dense ration, as the difference is soyahulls that have no place in rations designed for production.   Full fat Soya is the whole bean toasted and provides a high protein source and high fat source.  The fat levels are too high for use in Ostrich rations.

Soybean meal provides the best balance for amino acid deficient cereal grains 9.   Table 1 - demonstrates this very clearly.   It is the most economical protein available to most livestock producers and is much more uniform in composition than any of the by-products available from the meat or fish industry.10 Arginine has been reported to be thee most efficiently digested amino acid in dehulled soybeans at 93% and lysine more digestible than sunflower.  Other protein sources are products such as: Cotton Cake - which carries a risk of ‘Gossypol’ Toxin.  Peanut Meal that carries a risk of Aflatoxins and is also low in lysine and methionine and has some extremes on others such as arginine and threonine.  Soyabean meal has been proven the safest high protein cereal grain to use in any livestock ration and has been used safely for many years in US livestock and in recent years with Ostrich.

Conclusion

Soyabean meal is a quality protein source in ostrich feed, being typically 47.5% crude protein. As with all ingredients, the quality must be correct and inclusion levels reasonable and in balance to other ingredients in the rations. The importance of soyabean meal in reducing the loss of mineral ions6, 14 should be investigated further especially in the most vulnerable period of an ostrich chick's life, 0-3 months.  Indeed ostrich rations including reasonable levels of high-grade soyabean meal have been proven to far outperform any rations without soyabean meal. Hence the necessity of including soyabean meal in ostrich diets.