Rye could offer Irish pig producers a cost-effective and nutritionally sound alternative to traditional grains like barley and wheat.
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 tons of feed a year with grain making up a major portion.
Barley is the most used grain to form the core components of typical rations (480,000 tons), followed by wheat (360,000 tons) and maize (120,000 tons).
Our research shows rye can safely replace a substantial proportion of barley in finisher pig diets without compromising performance,” –
Dr Peadar Lawlor of Teagasc.
Rye use in Denmark
Rye has long been part of pig rations in Denmark, but Irish producers have been hesitant due to historical ergot risks, which poses health risks to both livestock and humans.
However, modern rye varieties, developed through improved breeding programmes, have reduced this risk, opening opportunities as a feed grain in Ireland.
Teagasc trial compares feed grains
Teagasc’s Pig Research Facility recently carried out a controlled trial to compare rye against traditional grains like barley and wheat.
Different rye 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.
No performance differences found
Performance results can be seen 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.
Comparable nutrition to barley
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, making it a promising cost-effective alternative.
Steps for wider adoption
But the researchers say 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.
