The influence of feeding rapeseed on growth and carcass fat quality of pigs

In three experiments with growing - finishing pigs, the influence of graded rapeseed levels in the mixed feed on growth, carcass quality and the composition of the body fat was studied. The feed mixtures were formulated isocaloric and isonitrogenous. With increasing rapeseed levels, the daily live weight gains decreased and the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the body fat increased. By an additional hydrothermal treatment of the rapeseed, the growth depressions were avoided. With a shortened feeding time of rapeseed, the PUFA content of the backfat was reduced. Considering the restriction for the PUFA content in the backfat, which was fixed at 15%, a level of 10% rapeseed in the feed mixtures should not be exceeded.