Impacts of rapeseed meal, canola meal and their mixture substitute for soybean meal on performance of lactating sows and their offspring

The present study was to evaluate the impact of rapeseed meal (RSM), canola meal (CM), and their mixture substitute for soybean meal on performance of lactating sows and their offspring. In total, 16 Yorkshire×Landrace sows with initial BW 258.87±5.36 kg were used in this trial. The experimental period lasted 30 days. The sows were allotted to one of four dietary treatments (4 sows per treatment): 1) corn-soybean meal (SBM) basal diets; 2) basal diets containing 8% RSM; 3) basal diets containing 8% CM; 4) basal diets containing RSM (4%) and CM (4%) mixture (RSCM). Sows fed with RSM and RSCM diets had a higher (P<0.05) body weight loss than sows fed SBM diet. The parity, litter number, piglet survival rate, weaning pig number, backfat, ADFI and estrus interval were not influenced by dietary treatments (P>0.05). The ADG of piglets from sows fed SBM was higher (P<0.05) than sows fed RSM at 1 week. After farrowing, the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter in sows fed with SBM diet was higher (P<0.05) than the RSCM group. The ATTD of energy in SBM and CM treatments was higher (P<0.05) than that in RSM and RSCM treatments. On the weaning day, the ATTD of nitrogen and energy in SBM treatmentwas highest (P<0.05) than other treatments. In conclusion, inclusion of 8% rapeseed meal, canola meal, and their mixture substitute for soybean meal had negative effects on reproductive performance of lactating sows and their offspring.