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Feeding value of cull lentils for growing swine
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on August 4, 2016
Authors: L. Eastwood, D. A. Gillis, M. R. Deibert and A. D. Beaulieu
Reference: Western Hog Journal Summer 2015
Saskatchewan produces lots of lentils. As such, there are significant sources of feed quality, or cull, lentils available. Although a significant amount of cull lentils are present in Saskatchewan, there is little data available about its nutrient characteristics. Thus, it is difficult to effectively formulate a diet that contains cull lentils to be fed to swine.
Two studies were done. The first study was done to determine the amount and digestibility of energy and amino acids in samples of cull lentils. The second study used the data obtained from the first study to formulate diets that could be fed to growing pigs and to validate the results of the first study.
In experiment one, ten barrows weighing between 35 and 40 kg were fitted with T-cannulas as the terminal ileum. Two samples of lentils were incorporated at two levels (15% and 30%) into a wheat and barley based control diet. These four diets as well as a control diet were fed to 6 pigs each. Each replicate was 9 days long with 4 days of dietary adaptation, 3 days of faecal grab-sampling and 2 days of digesta collection.
In experiment two, 200 growing pigs and 200 finishing pigs were fed a diet with lentils at 0%, 10%, 20%, or 30%. Diets were wheat and barley based. Over the 4 week trial, growth rate, feed intake, and feed efficiency were measured.
Given proper diet balancing to meet the nutrient requirements, no adverse effects were seen with the addition of up to 30% feed grade 3 lentils into the diets of growing and finishing pigs. There was an increase in average daily gain in finishing pigs as feed lentil inclusion increased. Gender differences were seen as expected, but both gilts and barrows responded similarly to the addition of lentils. Given this information and the data collected on the nutrient characteristics of cull lentils, producers can now reliable include cull lentils into the diets of growing and finishing pigs without observing adverse effects.