Spreads
Soybean hulls vs corn spread
Soybean hulls versus Corn (US #2 yellow): the raw $/ton spread, on a dry-matter basis, and on cost per pound of protein and energy
Data through Aug 17, 2026 · source last checked Aug 27, 2026 · page revised Aug 27, 2026
Cite
- Soybean hulls
- Corn (US #2 yellow)
About this data
- Source
- Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices
- Series
- Soybean hulls vs corn
- Basis
- Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- $/ton
- Calculation
- Weekly
- Last observation
- Aug 17, 2026
- Update frequency
- Weekly
Soybean hulls is $26/ton under Corn (US #2 yellow) on a raw as-fed basis, but on the nutrient that matters here Soybean hulls is the cheaper source of a pound of TDN (energy) this week. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation.
Soybean hulls is the cheaper source of energy this week at $0.099 per pound of TDN, undercutting corn's $0.105. On a dry-matter basis, soybean hulls prices at $152 per ton, $33 below corn, and undercuts on crude protein at $0.614 per pound versus corn's $0.973.
| Measure | Soybean hulls | Corn (US #2 yellow) | Difference (Soybean hulls − Corn (US #2 yellow)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price, $/ton as-fed | $137 | $163 | -$25 |
| Price, $/ton dry matter | $152 | $185 | -$33 |
| Cost per lb crude protein | $0.614 | $0.973 | -$0.359 |
| Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.099 | $0.105 | -$0.006 |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 10, 2026
Soybean hulls prices $24 per ton under corn on an as-fed basis, or $31 per ton on a dry-matter basis through 2026-08-10. Hulls is the cheaper source of energy at $0.094 per pound of TDN versus corn's $0.099. Hulls also prices lower on protein at $0.582 per pound of crude protein against corn's $0.922.
An earlier week
Soybean hulls trade at $0.094 per pound of TDN this week, $0.005 cheaper than corn's $0.099 per pound. On a dry-matter basis, that spread is $31 a ton in hulls' favor. Hulls also price lower on crude protein at $0.582 per pound versus corn's $0.922.
An earlier week
Soybean hulls prices under corn on energy this week at $0.096 per pound of TDN against $0.100 for corn. The spread is narrow but tracks the $28 per-ton discount on a dry-matter basis. Hulls also carries a protein advantage at $0.597 per pound of crude protein versus corn's $0.926.
About Soybean hulls vs corn spread
A raw $/ton spread is the starting point, not the answer. Two feeds at the same $/ton can deliver very different amounts of protein and energy per ton of dry matter, so the table above also shows each feed on a dry-matter basis and as a cost per pound of crude protein and per pound of TDN, the same math the nutrient-cost screening board runs.
Basis: Corn (US #2 yellow) is the national Grain Co-Products plant input cost, while Soybean hulls is a fob plant feedstuff quote. Those are close but not identical bases, so treat the raw $/ton gap as indicative and add your own freight for a delivered comparison.
Nutritional limits. Soybean hulls are a digestible-fiber energy source, not a starch feed. They pencil close to corn only on forage-based diets; in high-grain rations their energy value falls well short. Mississippi State University Extension flags a bloat risk above roughly 7 pounds a day and a choking risk in pelleted form. This is a price screen on one or two nutrients, not a feeding recommendation: inclusion rates, amino-acid balance, effective fiber and palatability are the nutritionist's call, not a price table's.