Legume seeds and rapeseed press cake as substitutes for soybean meal in sow and piglet feed

Abstract

The possibility of replacing soybean meal with mixtures of rapeseed press cake (RPC) and legume seeds in sow and piglet diets was evaluated in an experiment on 30 sows and their progeny. Group I (control) received standard feed mixture containing soybean meal as the main protein source, group II - RPC mixed with fodder pea, group III - field bean, group IV - blue lupine, group V - yellow lupine. Weaned piglets received mixtures containing RPC and legume mixtures. Considerable differences were found in amino acid composition of proteins. Differences in the apparent digestibility of essential nutrients were statistically insignificant. Sows fed with field bean and yellow lupine gave birth to heaviest piglets. After weaning piglets receiving field bean were characterized by the best weight gains. It is concluded that mixing rapeseed cake with legume seeds allows for the complete replacement of soybean meal in sow diets and for partial replacement in piglet diets.