New Zealand-grown and -processed rapeseed (cv. Tower) meal as a protein supplement for growing pigs

Abstract

Abstract Sixty–four Landrace × Large White pigs were fed 8 diets based on barley and meat and bone meal from 20 to 80 kg live weight. Two of the diets contained either blood meal (BM) or fish meal (FM) as the supplementary protein source, and served as controls. In the other 6 diets ‘Tower’ rapeseed meal (RSM) with and without additional lysine (0.15%) replaced all or half of the FM and BM. Over the live-weight range 20–40 kg pig performance on the diets containing a combination of RSM and either FM or BM was similar to that on the control diets. Addition of lysine to the diet with RSM as the protein supplement improved the rate and efficiency of live-weight gain. Similar dietary treatment differences in performance were recorded over the overall live-weight range (20–80 kg), but they were not significant. The supplementary protein source did not influence carcass measurements, but dressing percentage tended to be lower on diets containing RSM.