The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: benkt on February 15, 2011, 12:17:21 pm

Title: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: benkt on February 15, 2011, 12:17:21 pm

Our fields were sown with rape last autumn before we bought them and we're now getting ready to move some pigs on to them. Are the rape plants OK for pigs to eat or will I have to get remove it all first?

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: robert waddell on February 15, 2011, 01:37:34 pm

there could be confusion here rape as in forrage rape or rape as in   the oilseed type if it is the latter why not harvest it

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: loosey on February 15, 2011, 01:51:34 pm

Randomly I saw an aritcle fairly recently saying that Rapeseed can cause all end of problems if fed to livestock, but I'm not sure whether it refers to it having been harvested or just the plants. Sorry not much use in this corner! :)

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: benkt on February 15, 2011, 02:15:05 pm

its the 'oilseed rape' type, still in its small brassica-like stage. It covers all of our farmland and so we have nowhere else to put pigs if we leave it all to grow! It seems that the seeds (of some strains?) can be processed into meal for pigs but I'd like to check that the early stems will be OK for them.

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: oaklandspigs on February 15, 2011, 05:00:07 pm

Frankly I don't know the answer, but just goodled "feeding rapeseed to pigs" out of interest  and the first two items come up as :

Top listing : Avoid rapeseed oil in pig feed - Danish Food and Agriculture Council
2nd listing : Research points to benefit of rapeseed for pigs

That's the internet for you - you decide which argument you like and only choose those articles  ;D

However found this :

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J6WwuS3NHWwC&pg=PA288&lpg=PA288&dq=feeding+rape++to+pigs&source=bl&ots=A4EuFU-4aH&sig=M21o0T9x0axms7XN_PRUrrJ_Tfk&hl=en&ei=eq9aTbqDDsyFhQfTw4zEDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=feeding%20rape%20%20to%20pigs&f=false (http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J6WwuS3NHWwC&pg=PA288&lpg=PA288&dq=feeding+rape++to+pigs&source=bl&ots=A4EuFU-4aH&sig=M21o0T9x0axms7XN_PRUrrJ_Tfk&hl=en&ei=eq9aTbqDDsyFhQfTw4zEDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=feeding%20rape%20%20to%20pigs&f=false)

Long link to a book called "Nutrition and feeding of organic pigs" and scroll down to the bottom of page 288 which you land on  and you'll find a para which seems to indicate that you can - is copyrighted, so will not repeat it here.

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: Pel on February 15, 2011, 06:23:13 pm

I've looked in my animal nutrition book, and I can't find anything on the green stalk bits, only about rapeseed meal its self. If yours is the high glucosinolate variety then the cons seem to out way the pros, but if its the low variety then even though its not really recommened for just weaned pigs and sows. Boars, growers and finishers seem ok
to have it though. There is a paragraph which says: " some authorities, consider rapeseed meals should not be used in starter or sow diets and that level in growers and finisher diets should not exceed 50 and 100 kg/ton respectively." taken from Animal nutrition P McDonald, RA Edwards etc. Its also a source of protein just to say.   

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: HappyHippy on February 15, 2011, 07:14:58 pm

Sorry to butt in here, but just thought it would be worth asking -
Are you sure it's oilseed rape (pictured here) http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http://database.prota.org/search.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Brassica+carinata&RF=Webdisplay (http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http://database.prota.org/search.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Brassica+carinata&RF=Webdisplay)
as opposed to young ragwort (pictured here, scroll down to the detailed drawing with the leaves) http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nreninf.nsf/childdocs/31FDE98ADDA7C404CA257065001C256E?Open&Layout=DPI+Site~Printer+Friendly (http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nreninf.nsf/childdocs/31FDE98ADDA7C404CA257065001C256E?Open&Layout=DPI+Site~Printer+Friendly)

Just double check - the two can be alarmingly similar looking !
Karen x

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: Tudful Tamworths on February 18, 2011, 01:52:21 am

Have a look at this study:

http://www.britishpigs.org.uk/Newcastle_handbook_of_raw_materials.pdf (http://www.britishpigs.org.uk/Newcastle_handbook_of_raw_materials.pdf)

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: benkt on February 18, 2011, 11:36:11 am

Thanks TT, that is a great resource for figuring out a balance for growing our own food for the pigs in the long term!

Title: Re: Is rape safe for pigs to eat?
Post by: blonde on February 19, 2011, 01:02:59 pm

Rape seed or canola seed is fine if it is not fed in concentratred doses.  I add a 25 kg bag to a 1.5 ton of feed and feed to all my growers.   Feeding  the plant as a green plant may not be recommended  but while it is green I feed a little to them but not the whole plant.  I have had no trouble  doing this so I would just try  it and see what happens