ABSTRACT
Two experiments were performed for the purpose of determining the nutritional value and assess the performance and carcass traits in pigs fed on canola meal (Brassica napus). Experiment I consisted of a total digestibility trial conducted with 14 castrated commercial crossbred male pigs with 60.69 ± 4.26 kg initial live weight. The treatments consisted of a control diet based on maize and soybean meal and another diet containing canola meal (control + 25% canola meal). Each pig was an experimental unit, totalling seven experimental units per diet. The digestible energy and the metabolizable energy of canola meal used was 2,999 and 2,730 kcal.kg-1, respectively. These values were used to formulate the diets of the performance experiment. Experiment II included 50 crossbred pigs with an average initial live weight of 29.90 ± 1.16 kg and an average final live weight of 60.33 ± 3.38 kg during the growing phase, and an average initial live weight of 60.37 ± 1.6 kg and an average final live weight of 90.37 ± 3.19 kg during the finishing phase. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks, with four treatments (6, 12, 18, and 24% canola meal), 10 repetitions, and one pig per experimental unit. The control diet was formulated with 0% canola meal. The data were assessed using ANOVA test and the averages of the treatments were compared using Dunnett's test and regression analysis at a 5% probability level. The results suggest that it is possible to use up to 24% canola meal in the diets for pigs during the growing and finishing phases without affecting the performance and carcass traits.
Keywords:
Protein food; Canola meal; Pigs
