Cold-pressed soybean for poultry

This practice note describes the result of a case study of the use of cold-pressed soybean cake for feeding laying hens. Cold-pressed soybean cake is used by one of the three selected egg producers in Bulgaria. The inclusion of soybean cake up to 50% of the soybean protein in the feed of laying hens resulted in improved feeding performance. The soybean cake was produced from cold-pressing of the locally grown soybean cultivar Srebrina with separation of soybean oil. The cake is at least 37% protein. The use of this cake increased the content of free amino acids (AAs) and fatty acids (FAs) of the eggs. We conclude that this type of local production and processing of plant protein can have a positive economic effect in animal husbandry and quality of the final product. It also contributes to the circular agricultural economy.