Research: Glycerol and canola meal in weaned pigs

Partially substituting soybean meal and wheat with canola co-products was evaluated using 240 weaned pigs [6.3 kg initial body weight (BW)].

 

Pigs were fed for 4 weeks pelleted diets containing 150 g/kg of solvent-extracted or expeller-pressed canola meal either with 0 or 50 g/kg crude glycerol or a soybean meal control diet to measure performance and diet nutrient digestibility.

 

The wheat-based diets were formulated to contain 9.45 MJ/kg net energy (NE) and 1.13 g standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine (Lys)/MJ NE.

 

Glycerol increased diet digestible energy content by 0.6 and 0.2 MJ/kg of dry matter for solvent-extracted and expeller-pressed canola meal diets, respectively.

 

Canola co-product diets had a lower nutrient digestibility than the control diet, while DE content did not differ.

 

For days 0–28, BW gain and feed efficiency did not differ between the types of canola meal, the two levels of glycerol, and the canola co-product diets and control diet, although feed intake was 6% higher for the control than canola co-product diets.

 

In conclusion, 150 g/kg of solvent-extracted or expeller-pressed canola meal or with 50 g/kg glycerol can partially replace soybean meal and wheat in diets formulated to equal NE and SID amino acid content fed to weaned pigs without affecting growth performance.