EFFECTS OF AMMONIA AND STEAM TREATMENTS ON THE COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CANOLA (LOW GLUCOSINOLATE RAPESEED) SCREENINGS IN DIETS FOR GROWING PIGS
Two lots of fine screenings from canola (low glucosinolate rapeseed) were flaked (rolled) and processed (a) control, uncooked (UC); (b) wet-cooked using steam (WC), dried; and (c) WC with ammonia added (WC + NH3) and dried. The screenings meals were tested at 10 and 20% levels in diets that were individually fed to 48 pigs (23–57 kg) of both sexes in each of two factorially designed feeding experiments. In a separate digestibility trial, the meals were fed at 15 or 30% of a barley:wheat (2: 1) basal diet. The glucosinolate content was reduced from approximately 40 μmol/g (UC) to 15 μmol and 2 μmol in WC and WC + NH3 screenings, respectively. The availability of lysine was reduced by processing. Pigs fed diets containing WC screenings gained faster (625 g/day) (P < 0.05) than those fed diets containing UC (576 g) or WC + NH3 screenings (588 g). Pigs fed 10% screenings gained faster than those fed 20% (612 vs. 583 g/day) (P < 0.05) with a similar difference (P < 0.05) between sources (lots). Digestibility of crude protein was reduced from 67% in UC to 62–65% in processed screenings. Minor treatment effects on energy digestibility were observed depending on the source. Key words: Rapeseed screenings, cooking, ammoniation, pigs, feeding trials, digestibility