Solvent-Extracted Rapeseed Oil Meal as a Protein Source for Pigs and Rats: I. Growth, Carcass Characteristics and Reproduction

Solvent-extracted rapeseed oil meal (R.O.M.) was substituted on an equivalent protein basis for 0 to 100 per cent of the soybean oil meal (S.O.M.) in diets for pigs and rats from weaning through reproduction. R.O.M. and/or S.O.M. represented 66 to 76 per cent of the total supplemental protein and R.O.M. accounted for up to 15.6 per cent of the total diet.Replacement of 25 per cent of the S.O.M. by R.O.M. did not influence rate of gain or efficiency of food utilization in rats between 3 and 12 weeks of age or in pigs from 16 to 210 pounds liveweight. Rate of gain and efficiency of food utilization up to 8 weeks of age for rats or 110 pounds in weight for pigs were poorer when 50 or 100 per cent of the S.O.M. in the diet was replaced by R.O.M. Ad libitum-fed pigs were more severely affected by R.O.M. in the ration than were those fed at a restricted level. There were no sex × ration interactions in either species.Carcass quality of pigs was not significantly influenced by R.O.M. in the ration. Conception rate in pigs and reproductive performance in both species were adversely influenced by feeding the two highest levels of R.O.M. Addition of 0.2 per cent L-lysine to the diet containing the highest level of R.O.M. had no influence on gain, efficiency of food utilization or reproduction.