We as chicken raisers want to feed our birds the best diet we can, a good diet is crucial to maintaining good chicken health. There are a variety of foods that chickens can eat that are extremely beneficial, and some that aren’t.
So what about soybeans? Can chickens eat soybeans? This article looks into it
Chickens can definitely eat soybeans, this food is a great source of vitamins and minerals, especially fat and protein. Soybeans contain quite high amounts of proteins when compared to other plant protein sources. However, this food needs to be cooked in order to remove the anti-nutrients in the food.
Table of Contents
Can chickens eat soybeans?
Chickens can eat soybeans. In fact, soybean meal is widely used by chicken farmers as the dominant protein supplement in the bird’s diets.
When prepared well, this food is a great source of nutrients for chickens.
Benefits of chickens eating soybeans:
Protein is an essential nutrient for chickens, these animals need protein for everyday activities like egg growth, maintaining their immune system, producing healthy eggs, and helping the bird adapt to its environment.
Soybeans contain high levels of protein, especially when compared to other plant protein sources. It also delivers amino acids to the bird
Soybeans also contain high amounts of fat, fats are essential in a chicken’s diet, the fats present in soybeans help chickens absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K from the foods that they eat.
Although feeding these birds too much fats can cause the bird to become overweight, the right amounts of fat will be good for the bird.
Soybeans and egg taste:
Feeding chickens soybeans can have a direct effect on the taste of the eggs that they produce.
If a bird eats a diet of more than 20% soybeans, then the bird will produce eggs that have a slightly fishy taste. If you want to avoid this fishy taste, avoid giving your bird a diet that contains more than 20% soybeans
Will chickens eat raw soybeans?
No, chickens cannot eat raw soybeans, In fact, chickens cannot eat any type of raw beans.
Trypsin, is an enzyme secreted by the bird’s pancreas, it aids in digestion. Soybeans contain an antinutrient that inhibits trypsin. If your bird eats foods (soybeans) that contain trypsin inhibitors this antinutrient can have a negative effect on the bird’s gut, digestion, and the bird’s ability to properly utilize nutrients.
Before you give soybeans to your bird it is important that you cook the beans, you can also steam, roast or boil the beans, the trypsin inhibitors are removed when exposed to heat.
Cooking the beans for 14 minutes removes 80% of the trypsin inhibitors, cooking them for 30 minutes will get rid of 90% of the trypsin inhibitors.
Adult birds aren’t severely affected by the antinutrients in soybeans but younger birds will be severely affected by these antinutrients.
Can chickens eat green soybeans?
Chickens can definitely eat green soybeans, green soybeans are simply edamame beans, these beans are a great source of nutrients that will be of great help to your bird. Also, your chickens will love the taste of these beans.
These beans offer vitamins and minerals like calcium, choline, lysine, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B, fiber, methionine, and tryptophan.
Just as with soybeans, this food needs to be cooked before serving to chickens as they contain antinutrients. Chickens can also eat edamame pods, but these pods need to be cut up before being fed to chickens.
Is tofu ok for chickens?
Tofu is definitely ok for chickens, this food can be given to chickens as a healthy and delicious snack, not only is this food nutritious to us humans, but it is nutritious to birds as well.
When feeding tofu or soybeans to chickens, it is important to remember that their bird feed mixes likely already contain soybeans, feeding the bird too much of this bean (whether it’s in the form of tofu, or soybeans) can negatively affect the bird’s health
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes chickens can definitely eat soybeans. Soybeans can deliver a variety of vitamins and minerals to the bird’s body, they are also a great source of protein and fat.
The beans need to be cooked in order to remove the anti-nutrients in the food. Chickens can also eat edamame beans and tofu.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can chickens eat poppy seeds?, Can chickens eat sunflower seeds with shells?, Can chickens eat potato leaves?, Can chickens eat duckweed?
