As farms look for ways to bring more homegrown feed into the ration, high-oleic soybeans are starting to show up on the radar. They offer a combination of protein and energy, and recent research suggests they may also help support milk fat production while easing some of the milk fat depression risk often associated with conventional soybeans.

Like conventional soybeans, high-oleic soybeans are typically roasted before feeding. Roasting improves protein digestibility, increases rumen undegradable protein, and reduces anti-nutritional factors.

Particle size also matters. Feeding processed soybeans tends to produce more consistent results than feeding whole beans. Research has used grind sizes similar to soybean meal, around 700 to 800 microns, with success.

Economics will ultimately decide how widely high-oleic soybeans are used. They often carry a premium over conventional soybeans, and farms also need to account for roasting, storage, labor and equipment.

Still, gains in milk fat production and the ability to replace purchased fat or protein sources can help offset some of those costs.

“For many farms, somewhere around 8% to 12% of dietary dry matter can be a practical starting point,” says Katelyn Goldsmith, dairy outreach specialist for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “From there, monitor body condition, production and component response to see how cows are performing.”

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