Flaxseed Meal in Swine Rations: Standardized Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility
Flaxseed meal contains 34% CP and also contains appreciable amounts of many of the essential amino acids. The SID coefficients for the essential amino acids range from 67 to 94%, which affeccts the overall protein quality of the product; however, the amounts of SID essential amino acids in FSM are very similar to those reported for canola meal (NRC, 1998). Flaxseed meal is characterized by a low lysine content (3.6% of CP) in comparison to other meal products and when compared to the requirements of the pig (5.3% of CP for pigs 25 to 50 kg), and will likely be the
limiting factor for the dietary inclusion of FSM into swine rations. This is also confounded by the fact that FSM has a low Lysine digestibility (74%). It will be critical to consider this low Lysine content and digestibility when formulating rations to ensure the requirements of the animals are met.
