I have too many cats (long story), and wanted to find a substitute for the clumping kitty litter, so I bought a 50 lb. bag of soybean meal from a feed store.....thought it was the right texture for litter, and wanted to experiment. It was only $6.75 for 50 lbs.

Oh well, it's fine for feces, but NOT for urine - doesn't clump! The litter box just started smelling worse and worse, so I changed the whole thing.

Now, I have about 40 lbs. of soybean meal left, and don't know what to do with it. Guy at the feed store where I bought it said it's sometimes used for fertilizer, but would there be any other uses for it? I can't even have a garden this year, and I'm not real familiar with soybeans. Any help is appreciated!

-- Bonnie (51940@aeroinc.net), May 29, 2002

Answers

You could feed it mixed in bird seed to birds. It'll be around 48% protein. Ummmmmmmm without animals to feed it to I'd be pressed into thinking of anothe use. Fertilizer makes sense I guess. It's tasty stuff though! LOL

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), May 29, 2002.

Gary, do you mean that you eat it? In what form? Mix with bread dough when you bake it, or what? Cook like oatmeal? Feeding it to the birds sounds good. Or could I give it to my son to feed to his cattle? I'm sorry I'm so ignorant - corn, oats, wheat, etc. I understand, but I don't know about soybean meal.

-- Bonnie (51940@aeroinc.net), May 29, 2002.

Anyone who has poultry could use it. Depending on consistency, they might need to mix it to a mash with water first. That could apply to the bird feed as well. Otherwise, ask your son. The cattle could use it, or he may know someone with pigs or poultry if he doesn't have them himself. I'd be hesitant to eat it myself - livestock-grade ground grains didn't necessarily start off clean (read insects, mouse droppings, etc).

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 29, 2002.

Yes it was just a tease I wouldn't recomend eating it. Though it's very nutty flavoured, micronised and crushed soy is better. I do taste non mixed or medicated feeds to make sure they're good quality.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), May 29, 2002.

We “fertilize” our lawn a few times a year with soybean meal. It adds a slow release ofnitrogen for a short spell and doesn’t add what I call “lawn puke” to our local water table. It also is gets worked into all our raised beds. Good stuff.

-- Netie (netiemoody@hotmail.com), May 30, 2002.