SOLVENT-EXTRACTED RAPESEED MEAL AS A REPLACEMENT FOR SOYBEAN MEAL IN DIETS FOR SWINE REPRODUCTION

Abstract

At an average weight of 83 kg and age of 163 days, 32 gilts were allotted to four dietary treatments, 0, 4 or 8% solvent-extracted rapeseed meal (RM) throughout the experiment, or 8% RM fed for the first 100 days of gestation followed by 0% RM. The RM, of Brassica campestris origin and containing 2.40 g oxazolidinethione and 2.60 g isothiocyanates per kg meal, was added in substitution for isonitrogenous levels of soybean meal (SM) for two reproductive cycles. Feeding RM did not significantly influence daily gain or feed conversion efficiency from 83 kg to the first breeding or during the two gestation periods. No significant differences were noted in number of services to conception, length of gestation, number of pigs born or born alive, number of pigs weaned, litter birth weights or weaning weight, or pig birth weights or weaning weights. There was a trend toward reduced litter size from gilts and sows fed the diets containing RM. Changing the diet from 8% RM to 0% RM after 100 days of gestation did not influence reproductive performance. Lacombe × Yorkshire sows gained more from 83 kg live weight to the first breeding, had higher breeding weight in both gestation periods, and increased pig weaning weight for the second lactation period compared with Yorkshire sows. The latter sows had higher individual pig birth weights for the first reproductive cycle than the crossbred sows. The results indicate that a level of 8% commercial solvent-extracted RM of the type fed may be acceptable as a substitute for an isonitrogenous level of SM in the diets of gestating and lactating gilts and sows.