This article includes research that suggests these products may actually perform better than these numbers would indicate. Considerable research has reported the high nutritive value of these feedstuffs to ruminants. Supplementation with these feeds results in an increased bacterial protein flow post-rumninally similar to ground corn and increased ruminal fiber digestion. Therefore, supplementing fibrous by-products, such as soybean hulls, should enhance forage utilization by ruminants. Typically, soybean hulls do not require special processing to feed.
Heat treatment destroys the urease activity.
Soybean hulls which have been heat treated are referred to as soybean mill run, soybean flakes, or soybran flakes. The fiber in soybean hulls is rapidly fermented and may contain substantial amounts of pectin. In one study steers were maintained on tall fescue. One set of steers were fed 4 pounds of soybean hulls and another set was fed 4 pounds of corn while on grass. A third set of steers received no supplement.