This article reviews a previously published study that estimated soybean meal (SBM) amino acid and energy content for poultry and pigs. Accurate formulation with SBM requires reliable amino acid and energy values for ingredients, but net energy (NE) estimates in international references tend to be underestimated. SBM value increases in swine and poultry diets as protein increases, but the magnitude is greater if amino acids and energy increase together. As highlighted in this article, a key consideration for nutritionists in practice is that SBM NE expression may be greater under field conditions where complementary nutrition components, beyond amino acids and energy, are more likely to be expressed.
