LIVE PERFORMANCE, CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF MARKET PIGS SELF-FED DIETS CONTAINING CULL-GRADE LENTILS

Lentils rejected for use as human food were evaluated as an alternative to soybean meal (SBM) in barley-based diets containing 16% crude protein (CP). The first study involved 64 male castrates (four pigs/pen) fed diets containing 0, 5, 10 and 20% Laird lentils (LL, 23 % CP) ad libitum from 25 to 97 kg liveweight in a randomized block design with four replicates. Growth rates (mean of 914 g d −1 ) were similar on all diets but pigs fed the 10% LL diet were the most efficient (366 vs. 354 g gain kg −1 diet, P < 0.05), had thinner backfat (15.7 vs. 17.7 mm at 90 kg liveweight, P < 0.05) and more acceptable (P < 0.05) meat quality by physical and sensory evaluation compared to control (0% LL) pigs. The subsequent study, a one-way factorial design with four replicates using 60 gilts (3/pen) and five diets containing 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% Eston lentils (EL, 27% CP), was similarly conducted over the period from 25 to 90 kg liveweight. As observed previously, dietary lentils promoted curvilinear responses (usually optimum at 20% EL) although there were few significant (P < 0.05) differences between lentil-fed and control pigs apart from their meat quality criteria. Taking into account the costs of barley and SBM replaced, the value of cull lentils in each study was maximum at the 10% inclusion rate. Key words: Pig, growth, carcass, meat quality, lentils