Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 11, Number 7, DeMotte, Jasper County, 2 January 1941 — FARM TOPICS [ARTICLE]

FARM TOPICS

SOY BEANS ARE VALUABLE FEED Keep Bean Rations Low for Best Results.

By W. H. PETERS

(Professor of Animal Husbandry, University Farm, St. Paul.) Whole soy beans as raised and threshed on the farm have a high feed value, but the feeder should use caution in making up his ration to include such beans. On the basis of experiments carried out to evaluate soy beans in the live-stock ration, several guides have been established.

(1) Do not feed soy beans in ex-cess-of 10 per cent by weight of any grain ration for any type of animal. If beans are fed mote heavily than this, the high oil content will cause scouring -and disturbances of the digestive system. If fed heavily to such animals as high producing milk cows, fattening hogs, cattle or lambs, such animals will in two to three months’ time lose their taste for the beans and voluntarily cut down on their eating. (2) Soy beans fed in excess of 10 per cent of the ration to dairy cows may cause soft butter. Likewise, overfeeding of fattening hogs on beans is quite certain to produce soft pork. (3) In so far as possible soy beans should be fed whole without being ground at all. They are just as palatable in the whole form as after they are ground. Because of their high oil content, soy beans become rancid and objectionable in odor and taste very soon after being ground. If they must be ground to fit in with the rest of the ration, they should be crushed only medium fine, and a fresh supply prepared once each week. ,\j (4) Sucfh practices as cooking or soaking soy beans before feeding them have not proved necjessary or profitably. (5) Whole soy beans have their most satisfactory use in feeding when they are fed as a small part of the grain ration to fattening cattle and lambs and high producing milk cows.