Rye offers Irish pig farmers a competitive feed solution
Rye cold be a cost-effective and nutritionally viable alternative grain for Irish pig producers, as feed represents one of the highest input costs.
That’s the message from Michael McKeon of the Teagasc Pig Development Department. Teagasc is the name of the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority. McKean said that at present, the Irish pig sector consumes around 1.2 million tonnes of feed a year. Grain makes up up a major portion.
Barley is the most used grain to form the core components of typical rations (480,000 tonnes), followed by wheat (360,000 tonnes) and maize (120,000 tonnes).
Rye: a common grain for pigs in Denmark
Although rye has been used in Danish pig rations for many years, Irish producers have historically been reluctant to use it. This is due to the risk of ergot contamination, which poses health risks to both livestock and humans. Ergot is a fungal disease in rye that occurs in certain weather conditions, particularly in years with cool, wet weather. The fungus replaces the developing grain with dark, horn-like structures called sclerotia.
However, modern rye varieties, developed through improved breeding programmes, have reduced this risk, opening opportunities as a feed grain in Ireland.
Teagasc’s Pig Research Facility recently carried out a controlled trial to compare rye against traditional grains like barley and wheat.
Trial with different inclusion levels
The study involved finisher pigs from 30-120 kg and evaluated 4 dietary inclusion levels of rye: 0%, 20%, 40% and 60%. All diets were balanced for net energy and standardised ileal digestible (SID) amino acids, with a wheat/barley-based diet as the control.
Performance results are in Table 1. The data show no significant differences in feed intake, growth rate or feed conversion efficiency, even at the highest inclusion rate of 60% rye.
Implications
The trial, led by Teagasc’s Dr Peadar Lawlor, shows that rye can safely replace a substantial proportion of barley in finisher pig diets without compromising performance. From a nutritional standpoint, rye offers a comparable energy and amino acid profile to barley. This makes it a promising cost-effective alternative.
The researchers say however, that the industry needs to take action for rye to be adopted commercially. That includes:
- Having a consistent grain supply;
- Monitor ergot and mycotoxin levels;
- Looking after storage and handling protocols; and
- Price competitiveness.
