Soybean( Hulls, Meal )
Classification
1. Dry Roughages & Forages: Forage is defined as vegetative material in a fresh, dried, or ensiled state. It includes the leaves, stems, and stalks of plants. The term roughage is sometimes used interchangeably with forage although roughage is a broader term. Roughages are bulky feeds with a low weight per unit volume. Bulky feeds are high in fiber. Roughages include items such as peanut hulls or cottonseed hulls which are not forages. Forages are usually defined by how much fiber they contain. On a dry basis, they usually contain more than 18% crude fiber or 35% cell wall (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and are lower in energy than concentrates. They are also usually lower in digestibility than concentrates due to their higher cell wall content. They are variable in protein content. For example, legumes such as alfalfa may contain 20% crude protein whereas some very low quality forages may contain only 4% crude protein. Forages also provide minerals and vitamins. Forages are used extensively in the diets of ruminants, horses, and other herbivores (plant eaters). In addition to providing nutrients, forage in the diet is important to reduce digestive disturbances in herbivores.
Classification Glossary
Information
Soybean hulls are dry roughage. Soybean hulls are the outer covering of the soybean that is removed when the soybean is process for oil. They are usually toasted to destroy urease activity and are ground to various sizes. The fiber in soybean hulls is highly digestible in ruminants and therefore they are not an effective fiber source. For cattle, additional fiber sources should be included in the diet. They are commonly included in diets for companion animals particularly diets that focus on weight loss.
