Evaluating the Quality of Amino Acids in Soybean Meal Produced from Kentucky-Grown Soybeans using Standardized Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility Values

ABSTRACT Soybean meal is the pre-eminent source of high-quality protein (amino acids) for livestock and poultry and given the current supply chain challenges as it relate to the supply of limiting essential amino acids and the problems associated with our dependence on importation of some of the crystalline amino acids internationally, it is important to look for ways to address this supply chain issues. One feed ingredient that is able to address this challenge is soybean meal for a number of reasons. First, it is cultivated domestically, hence there is no need to depend on importation. Secondly, it is relatively cheap and thirdly, its amino acid profile has no rival in all of the plant- based feed ingredients. With the current increase in the inclusion level of soybean meal in poultry and swine diets, it is important to evaluate the ileal digestibility (apparent and standardized) of this important feed ingredient and especially to characterize the soybean meal from Kentucky- cultivated soybeans. This will be done in broiler chickens and cannulated growing pigs under the following two objectives: Objective 1: To determine apparent and standardized ileal amino acid digestibility values of soybean meal produced from Kentucky-cultivated soybeans with or without exogenous enzymes supplementation in broiler chickens at three different ages Objective 2: To determine apparent and standardized ileal amino acid digestibility values of soybean meal produced from Kentucky-cultivated soybeans with or without exogenous enzymes supplementation in pigs at two different body weights (ages)