Canola meal is second only to soybean meal as a protein source used in animal diets. However, the digestibility of amino acids and digestible energy is lower in canola meal than in soybean meal because of the high concentration of fiber in canola meal. The high fiber content and the presence of glucosinolates limit inclusion of canola meal in diets fed to pigs.

Research on using canola meal in pig diets at different stages has indicated that it can be used in gestation diets without limitation and 15 to 20% may be included in lactation diets. However, at least one study indicated that including canola meal in gestating and lactation diets reduced the number of pigs born alive and the number of pigs weaned, and also reduced lactation feed intake and litter weaning weight.

New canola varieties have been developed that yield meal with more protein and less fiber compared with conventional canola meal (CM-CV). The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of feeding diets containing high protein canola meal (CM-HP) or CM-CV to sows during gestation and lactation, and to determine the optimum inclusion rates of CM-HP and CM-CV in gestation and lactation diets.

González-Vega, J. C., C. L. Walk, M. R. Murphy, and H. H. Stein. 2016. Effect of increasing concentrations of digestible calcium and digestible phosphorus on apparent total tract digestibility of calcium and phosphorus by pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 94(E-Suppl. 5):459 (Abstr.) Link to abstract (.pdf)

She, Y., H. H. Salgado, D. Li, and H. H. Stein. 2016. Effects of high protein canola meal on digestibility of phosphorus and growth performance of weanling pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 94(E-Suppl. 5):457 (Abstr.) Link to abstract (.pdf)

Berrocoso, J. D., O. J. Rojas, Y. Liu, J. Shoulders, J. C. González-Vega, and H. H. Stein. 2015. Energy concentration and amino acid digestibility in high-protein canola meal, conventional canola meal, and soybean meal fed to growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 93:2208-2217. Link to full text (.pdf)

Little, K. L., B. M. Bohrer, T. Maison, Y. Liu, H. H. Stein and D. D. Boler. 2015. Effects of feeding canola meal from high-protein or conventional varieties of canola seeds on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and cutability of pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 93:1284-1297. Link to full text (.pdf)

Parr, C. K., Y. Liu, C. M. Parsons, and H. H. Stein. 2014. Phosphorus digestibility in high protein canola meals, conventional canola meal, and soybean meal fed to growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci 92(E-Suppl. 2):641 (Abstr.) Link to abstract (.pdf)

Jaworski, N. W., Y. Liu, and H. H. Stein. 2014. Energy concentration and amino acid digestibility in two sources of canola meal fed to growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci 92(E-Suppl. 2):220 (Abstr.) Link to abstract (.pdf)

Canola meal can be used as a source of protein in swine diets, but conventional canola meal contains less protein than soybean meal. In recent years, new varieties of canola have been developed with seeds that contain more protein and less fiber than conventional canola seeds. The meal from these new varieties of canola has a protein content similar to that of soybean meal.

Previous research at the University of Illinois demonstrated that diets containing at least 30% high protein canola meal (CM-HP) or conventional canola meal (CM-CV) could be fed to nursery pigs without reducing growth performance. It has not yet been determined how much soybean meal can be replaced by conventional or high protein canola meal in diets for growing-finishing pigs without affecting growth performance or carcass characteristics. Therefore, an experiment was performed to determine the optimum inclusion rate of high-protein and conventional meal in diets fed to growing and finishing pigs.