Evaluation of rapeseed meal as a protein source to replace soybean meal in growing pigs

A total of 112 crossbred pigs [(Yorkshire ${\times}$ Landrace) ${\times}$ Duroc] with an average body weight (BW) of $27.98{\pm}1.28kg$ were used to evaluate the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with rapeseed meal (RSM) as a source of protein on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, and fecal noxious gas emission in growing pigs. The pigs were blocked and stratified based on BW into one of four dietary treatments in a 6-week trial. Each treatment consisted of 7 replicate pens with 4 pigs per pen (2 barrows and 2 gilts). Treatments were 1) maize-SBM based diet, 2) diet containing 2% RSM, 3) diet containing 4% RSM, and 4) diet containing 6% RSM. Supplementation with RSM resulted in no differences in growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and noxious gas emission, as compared with SBM supplementation during the experimental period (p > 0.05). Pigs fed with increased dietary RSM (0, 2, 4, and 6% of feed) had linear decreases in average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.010) and nitrogen digestibility (p = 0.036) and a linear increase in blood creatinine concentration. In conclusion, RSM fed pigs had no detrimental effects on their growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, and fecal noxious gas emissions, as compared with SBM fed pigs. Thus, RSM is a good alternative to SBM as a protein source in growing pigs' diets.