EVALUATION OF CANDLE RAPESEED MEAL AS A PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT FOR SWINE

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate rapeseed meal (RSM) produced from seed of Brassica campestris L. ’Candle’ in comparison with B. napus L. ’Tower’, soybean meal and fababeans (Vicia faba) as protein supplements for growing swine. In experiment 1 Candle RSM (5, 10 or 15%) was substituted for soybean meal or fababeans in barley- and wheat-based diets for 120 pigs from 23 to 88 kg liveweight. The effects of supplementary iodine (0.14 mg I/kg diet) and amino acids (0.15% lysine and 0.05% methionine) on the nutritive value of Candle RSM were also studied. The results of experiment 1 indicated that daily feed intake and carcass value index were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by diets. The growth and feed utilization responses of pigs fed diets which contained soybean meal and fababeans as the sole source of supplementary protein were similar and the replacement of these protein supplements with Candle RSM, unless supplemented with amino acids, resulted in a reduction in rate of growth and efficiency of feed utilization. Gains adjusted by regression for feed intake variations showed benefit from lysine. Diets containing 15 % of either Candle or Tower RSM, plus lysine, were utilized about 95% as efficiently as soybean meal diets. Supplementation with iodine produced no significant response. The digestibility coefficients of the protein and energy of Candle RSM and soybean meal were determined in experiment 2. The apparent digestibility of protein in Candle RSM was 81% and energy digestibility was 71%. The digestible energy content was 14.12 MJ/kg (3370 kcal/kg), dry matter basis.