Is soy bad for chickens?

[Squawkers]

I have been getting my chickens soy-free feed for several months, but I hate the option my feed store has for soy-free. It is SO dusty, and I have to sift through every scoop. I was wondering if I could just go back to my previous non soy-free feed?

 

[nuthatched]

Soy is fine on the amounts in chicken feed, the soy free feed is if you have a soy sensitivity.

 

[Squawkers]

Soy is fine on the amounts in chicken feed, the soy free feed is if you have a soy sensitivity.

Soy sensitivity? Are some chickens allergic to soy?

 

[Stravager]

Soy sensitivity? Are some chickens allergic to soy?

I don't know about chickens, but the people feeding chickens can definitely have a soy sensitivity that could be irritated by the dust particles.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Soy is GOOD for chickens. Soy is one of the few good plant-based Methionine sources. Methionine is used for all protein formation, and connective tissues particularly. It is critical for developing chicks until they approach adulthood.

 

[Squawkers]

I don't know about chickens, but the people feeding chickens can definitely have a soy sensitivity that could be irritated by the dust particles.

That’s good to know

 

[Squawkers]

Soy is GOOD for chickens. Soy is one of the few good plant-based Methionine sources. Methionine is used for all protein formation, and connective tissues particularly. It is critical for developing chicks until they approach adulthood.

Then why have I heard soy is bad? Not doubting you, I honestly thought it was a bit weird when I heard that soy was bad.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Then why have I heard soy is bad? Not doubting you, I honestly thought it was a bit weird when I heard that soy was bad.

A tiny (teeny tiny miniscule) amount is rooted in anti-Asian sentiment and now repeated by people because they had heard it before, though they may harbor no such beliefs themselves. The same has happened with many other "ethnic" foods over the centuries, including corn, the staple of the modern chicken feed industry. Lets get that out of the way first, a footnote in history soon to be lost on the page.

A slightly greater amount arises from people who have true food alergies, and believe (often wrongly) that whatever compound in soy that they are alergic too is transfered to the meat or the egg or both.

A somewhat greater amount arises from those who correctly oserve that soy is high in certain phytoestrogens, and from there conclude that phytoestrogen is like estrogen, and causes any number of human cancers. Sometimes, they will cite to some small study for support. The worlds largest human nutrition health study (The California Teacher's Study) found *generally* the opposite. That soy consumption was generally associated with healthier outcomes. However, there are a small number of cancers whose progression is seemingly helped by high phytoestrogen content in the diet - which includes not only soy, but also nuts, grains, and a handful of popular fruits. For the majority, its a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing - like suggesting everyone cut out wheat because some people have Celiacs, or refined suger because some suffer adult-onset Diabetes.

The majority, however (and my sense is that this is the vast majority) of those who object to soy do so because the majority of the worldwide crop is "RoundUp Ready" - and they object to GMOs generally, intensive modern farming practice and/or widespread pesticide use generally, and/or Monsanto and their RoundUp product, glyphosate, specifically. [edit] Re: intensive farming practices, see this useful comment below from one of our BYC friends across the pond. In the EU, soy comes primarily from Brazil, where it is closely associated with deforestation. [/edit]

For some, its an article of faith immune to rational discourse and debate. For others, its a political stand which holds soy hostage to the end goal of discouraging glypohosate use (and a low value hostage to them, because they don't consume significant soy as part of their regular diet). Others make reasonable effort to avoid most/all modern farming and pesticide practice (and soy avoidance is a small part of that). Still others do it because its been repeated so often, and advertised so effectively in creating a high price niche market segment, that they believe it to be desirous without understanding why.

I'm sure there are other reasons besides, but the above describes almost all the public "voting" on the subject in the marketplace of ideas and product options.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

(and that's the end of my philosophic musings for the day. I really shouldn't do this before coffee. Off to feed the birds with my locally milled commerciaal blend of corn, soy, vitamin/mineral premix and local grain crops).

Have a great morning all, and another cup of Joe.

 

[Kiki]

Then why have I heard soy is bad? Not doubting you, I honestly thought it was a bit weird when I heard that soy was bad.

Heard from who/where?