Grinding soybean meal for pelleting

It’s tempting to think that finer is always better when preparing soybean meal (SBM) for pelleting. A finer grind improves pellet quality, right? Yes — but only to a point. Push it too far, and you start paying for it in nutrient utilization, energy use and bird performance.

Feed mills often grind SBM excessively to boost pellet durability index (PDI). The theory is solid: smaller particles press together more easily, making a denser, smoother pellet. But there’s a catch. When soybean meal gets too fine —below 400 µm — you rob the gizzard of mechanical stimulation and risk faster feed passage through the digestive tract. The result can be poorer feed conversion, especially in mash or crumble diets.