Decorticated safflower meal as a protein supplement for sorghum and wheat based pig diets

Abstract

Ninety-six Large White pigs were used in four experiments to compare supplements of decorticated safflower meal with soybean meal in either sorghum or wheat based 'grower-finisher' diets. Synthetic lysine, fishmeal and combinations of safflower meal-fishmeal and safflower meal-fishmeal-synthetic lysine were tested as supplements. Decorticated safflower meal was found to be unsatisfactory as the sole supplementary protein source for sorghum and wheat based diets for pigs. The growth response to the safflower meal was increased by the addition of synthetic lysine but the performance of pigs receiving these lysine enriched safflower meal supplements was always inferior to those fed either isonitrogenous soybean meal or fishmeal supplements in both sorghum and wheat based diets. Increasing safflower protein contribution in the safflower mealfishmeal diets resulted in poorer feed conversion ratios and growth rates, particularly when fed to pigs less than 45 kg live weight. The results showed that if safflower meal was to be used in pig diets, it should be used in conjunction with 'lysine rich' protein concentrates and restricted to pigs exceeding 45 kg liveweight.