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The objective of this swine study was to evaluate whether high levels of soybean meal (SBM) could modulate the pig’s response to a respiratory disease challenge by reducing systemic viral replication and modulating the immune system. A total of 2,112 pigs weighing about 6 kg were placed into two nursery rooms of 48 pens each (22 pigs/pen) under commercial conditions to evaluate the potential of SBM levels (low, medium, or high) in combination with phytase (560 or 1415 analyzed FTU/kg) to improve growth and health of weaned pigs originating from a porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) affected sow farm.

Results indicated no significant treatment main effects or interactions (P > 0.05) for ADFI, ADG or gain: feed. The percentage of pigs pulled for medical treatment declined linearly with increasing SBM levels (11.09, 9.15, 8.42%; P= 0.04). However, there was no reduction in mortality or improvement in the percentage of full value pigs (97.3, 97.4, and 97.3%; P = 0.97). Stool firmness decreased with increasing SBM during day 1 to 5 (linear, P = 0.01) and tended to decrease for day 1 to 10 (P = 0.13). Phytase tended to improve stool score for day 1 to 5 (P = 0.06) and day 1 to 10 (P = 0.14). Soybean meal levels did not affect (P = 0.31) viral load of PRRS when determined on day 20 or day 42. The researchers concluded that increased levels of SBM may be beneficial in health challenged pigs by reducing labor and cost associated with treatment for disease without impacting performance or viral load of PRRS. The tendency for high levels of SBM to cause stool looseness can be countered with a high phytase level.

Moran, K.., E. van Heugten, C. E. Zier-Rush and R. D. Boyd. 2016. High levels of soybean meal reduces medical treatment in nursery pigs affected by PRRS. J. Animal Sci. 94 (Suppl. 2): ASAS Midwestern Section (Abstract 202, page 93).

In another report, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP), two significant respiratory pathogens in finishing pigs, often found together was studied. The researchers cited recent studies that implied that increasing soybean meal content of diets can be beneficial in pathogen-challenged pigs, while other reports suggest similar benefits by increasing the use of synthetic amino acids, specifically tryptophan (Trp). The objective of their study was to determine if increased synthetic Trp replacing a portion of soybean meal (SBM) would impact performance of late finishing pigs dual-challenged with PRRSV and MHP. Ninety-six mixed sex pigs weighing about 120 kg were selected and randomly assigned to a high SBM (SBM; 9 pens/trt) or synthetic Trp (SYN; 9 pens/trt) diet. Both diets were formulated to contain 0.70% TID lysine and were isocaloric; only crude protein was different between SBM and SYN diets (15.9 vs. 13.5%, respectively). After 96 day on test diets, all pigs were inoculated intratracheally with MHP and intramuscularly with a field strain of PRRSV. Growth performance and feed efficiency were determined until pigs reached market weight after which, carcass were assessed.

Results-During the 96 day pre-challenge period, no performance differences were detected between the two dietary treatments. As expected, antibody titers for PRRSV and MHP increased post inoculation. However, change in PRRSV antibody titers from 0 to 28 day post inoculation tended (P = 0.09) to be increased in SYN verses SBM treatment. MHP antibody titers and lung lesion scores did not differ between treatments. For the 28 day post-challenge period, there was no difference in ADG, ADFI, G:F, hot carcass weight, yield percentage or muscle depth (P<0.10). However, the SYN pigs had an increase in carcass fat depth compared to the SBM treatment (P = 0.01). Conversely, there was a tendency (P = 0.09) for carcass lean percent to be increased in SBM fed pigs (57.6 vs. 57.1%, respectively). Altogether, these data indicate that diets with increased synthetic amino acids or decreased SBM do not alter pig performance during a late breaking respiratory health challenge.

A. L. O’Connell, A.L., W. P. Schweer , K. Schwartz, G. Gourley , M. A. FitzSimmons and N. K. Gabler. 2016. Increased dietary soybean meal does not affect performance during a PRRSV-Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae challenge. J. Animal Sci. 94 (Suppl. 2): ASAS Midwestern Section (Abstract 411, page 187).

A 19-day Broiler Performance study was conducted to compare growth performance of broiler chicks fed soybean meal (SBM) produced from ten different soybean cultivars. The SBM was prepared by laboratory-scale mechanical extraction and heated in a convection oven at 120°C for 20 minutes. Two hundred and fifty day-old male broilers were randomly allocated to ten dietary treatments with five replicates and five birds per replicate. Isocaloric diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (1994) dietary recommendation. SBM was included in the diets between 38.2 and 43.5%. Results indicated no differences in final body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion of broilers fed different SBM (P › 0.05). The body weight gain ranged from 552 to 595 g. and feed conversion ranged from 1.42 to 1.36.

Canola meal (CM) was compared to soybean meal (SBM) in an experiment involving 240 pigs weaned at 18 days and weighing about 9.6 kg. The pigs were fed pelleted wheat-based diets containing either 20% SBM or 20% CM solvent-extracted from common dark-seeded Brassica napus starting at two weeks postweaning for 28 days. Four CM samples were obtained from four crushing plants in Western Canada and contained (DM-basis) 39.7–46.2% CP, 3.4–4.1% ether extract, 17.5–21.4% ADF, and 1.2–8.0 µmoles/g total glucosinolates. The diets were formulated to provide 2.3 Mcal NE/kg and 5.1 g standard ileal digestible (SID) Lys/Mcal NE.

Results indicated that replacing SBM with CM reduced apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter by 3.7%-units, of gross energy by 3.6%-units, and of crude protein by 4.0%-units (P‹0.001). The digestible energy value of the four CM diets were similar to, but their predicted net energy value were 0.02 Mcal/kg greater (P = 0.027) than that of the SBM diet. Growth performance of pigs fed the four CM diets did not differ from pigs fed SBM. The researchers concluded that replacing 20% SBM in diets of weaning pigs with CM reduced ATTD of dry matter, gross energy and crude protein, while not reducing feed intake, weight gain, or feed efficiency. Variation in nutritive quality among these four Brassica napus CM samples did not affect growth performance of young pigs.

L. F. Wang, L.F., E. Beltranena, and R. T. Zijlstra. 2016. Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed canola meal samples varying in nutritive quality. J. Animal Sci. 94 (Suppl. 2): ASAS Midwestern Section (Abstract 224, page 103).

An 8 × 8 Latin square designed experiment was conducted feeding 8 ileal-cannulated grower pigs weighing 32 kg in a study to evaluate the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein and amino acids in five Brassica napus canola meal (CM) samples from five Western Canadian crushing plants. Pigs were fed eight diets (SBM, 5 CM samples, basal, and N-free). For SBM and CM diets, 40% of test feedstuff sample was mixed with 60% barley and wheat-based basal diet. Pigs were fed diets at 2.8 × maintenance (110 kcal of DE per kg of BW0.75) divided into equal 2 meals daily. Digesta was collected on day 8 and 9. The SID of crude protein and amino acids was determined by subtracting basal endogenous amino acid losses. On dry matter basis, the SBM and five CM samples contained 51 and 39–45% CP; 7 and 24–27% NDF; and 4.70 and 4.73–4.82 Mcal/kg GE, respectively.

The SID of the indispensable amino acids (except Histidine) and dispensable amino acids (except Glycine) were greater (P ‹ 0.05) for SBM compared to the five CM samples. The researchers reasoned that the SID of most amino acids was lower in CM compared to SBM was likely due to the greater fiber content in CM. However, the SID of amino acids differed among the five CM samples could not be associated to changes in chemical composition.

Le Thanh, B.V., X. Zhou , E. Beltranena and R. T. Zijlstra, 2016. Amino acid digestibility of five samples of canola meal fed to ileal-cannulated grower pigs. J. Animal Sci. 94 (Suppl. 2): ASAS Midwestern Section (Abstract 226, page 104).

The objective of this research study was to determine the apparent or standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids (AID or SID) in growing pigs fed diets containing three protein feedstuffs with different fiber characteristics at two dietary crude protein levels. Twenty pigs weighing about 35 kg were fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum. These pigs were offered six diets containing soybean meal (SBM), canola meal (CM) or corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) that were either adequate (19%) or marginal (15%) in crude protein.

Results indicated that the AID of amino acids were greater (p<0.05) in the SBM diet compared with the CM diet with the exception of amino acids Met, Cys, Trp and Pro. The AID for Gly and Asp were greater (p<0.05) in the SBM diet compared with the corn-DDGS diet. The AID of Ile, Leu, Phe, Val, Ala, Tyr, and Asp was greater (p<0.05) in the DDGS diet compared with the CM diet. The SID of AA was greater (p<0.05) in the SBM diet compared with the CM diet for amino acids except Trp and Pro. The SID of Ile, Leu, Val, Ala, Tyr, and Asp was greater (p<0.05) in the DDGS diet compared with the CM diet. The researchers concluded that protein ingredient affects ileal amino acid digestibility and is closely related to dietary fiber characteristics, and a 4% reduction in dietary crude protein had no effect on ileal amino acid digestibility in growing pigs.

Adebiyi, A.O. D. Ragland, O. Adeola, O. A. Olukosi. 2015. Apparent or Standardized Ileal Digestibility of Amino Acids of Diets Containing Different Protein Feedstuffs Fed at Two Crude Protein Levels for Growing Pigs. Asian-Australian J. Anim. Sci. 28(9): 1327-1334.

A Feed Fat Ingredients and Mineral Digestibility experiment was conducted to determine the effect of supplementing diets fed to growing pigs with fat sources that differ in their concentrations of fatty acids on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Mn, Na, and K. A basal diet based on corn and potato protein isolate was formulated that contained 7% sucrose. Five additional diets that were similar to the previous diet except that sucrose was replaced by 7% tallow, choice white grease (CWG), palm oil (PO), corn oil (CO), or soybean oil (SBO) were formulated. Diets were formulated to contain 0.70% Ca and 0.33% standardized total tract digestible P. Sixty growing barrows weighing about 16 kg were allotted to a randomized complete block design with six dietary treatments and ten replicate pigs per treatment. Experimental diets were provided for 12 days with the initial five day being the adaptation period. Total feces were collected for five days using the marker-to-marker approach.

Results-The ATTD of Ca was greater (P < 0.05) for pigs fed diets containing SBO, CO, PO, or tallow than for pigs fed the basal diet or the CWG diet, but pigs fed the diet containing tallow were not different from pigs fed a diet containing CWG. ATTD of P was greater (P < 0.05) for diets containing SBO or tallow compared with the basal diet or the CWG diet. The ATTD of Mg, Zn, Mn, Na, and K were not different among treatments. The research team concluded that supplementation of CWG to diets fed to pigs does not change the digestibility of minerals, but tallow, PO, CO, and SBO may increase the digestibility of Ca and P, but not of other minerals.

Adebiyi, A.O. D. Ragland, O. Adeola, O. A. Olukosi. 2015. Apparent or Standardized Ileal Digestibility of Amino Acids of Diets Containing Different Protein Feedstuffs Fed at Two Crude Protein Levels for Growing Pigs. Asian-Australian J. Anim. Sci. 28(9): 1327-1334.

Two 8-week Soybean Meal Substitution feeding trials were conducted to evaluate soybean meal (SBM) as a fish meal substitute in diets for Japanese seabass, Lateolabrax japonicas. In trial I, a control diet contained 40% fish meal, and 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of the fish meal were replaced with SBM, supplied with 0.3% DL-methionine and 0.2%. In trial II, 60% and 80% of the fish meal in control diet was replaced with SBM, supplied with 0.3 or 0.7% DL-methionine. The feed intake was lower in fish fed the control diet compared to diets with SBM. No significant differences were found in the weight gain, nitrogen retention efficiency and body composition between fish fed diets with up to 60% of the fish meal being substituted with SBM. This study indicates that fish meal in Japanese seabass diets can be reduced to 16% by using SBM as a fish meal substitute.

An 8-week Soy Protein for Turtles experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary fish meal (FM) replaced by soybean protein concentrate (SPC) on Japanese strain of soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis juveniles. Diets were formulated to replace FM protein by SPC at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 or 60% supplemented with phytase (2000 FTU/kg) and each diet was fed to triplicate groups.

The results showed that SPC could successfully substitute for 30% FM protein in the diets for P. sinensis juveniles, and the maximum effective substitution may be greater if exogenous phytase was added. The turtles fed the 15 or 30% replacement diets showed comparable feed and protein utilization efficiency compared with the control group, whereas more than 30% replacement of FM adversely significantly lowered the apparent digestibility coefficients for dry matter, protein, lipid, phosphorus and gross energy.