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Dehydrated alfalfa is an established ingredient for
swine feeding in North America. It is an
excellent source of critical nutrients necessary for swine health and
productivity.
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Lysine, the first limiting amino acid in pork
production, is abundant in dehydrated alfalfa.
Protein content is nearly twice that found in corn and is
efficiently used, providing savings by reducing the amount of protein
supplement required.
Dehydrated alfalfa pellets can help reduce the toxic effects of
the mycotoxin zearalenone, when toxin levels are 10 mg/kg of feed or
less.
Dehydrated alfalfa pellets are also an excellent source of: Beta
carotene, Vitamin E, Riboflavin, Choline, Biotin, Selenium, Manganese
and Calcium.
Dehydrated alfalfa pellets provide a high quality fibre source
to add bulk, reduce constipation and increase appetite in dry and
lactating sows.
Dehydrated alfalfa pellets improve carcass quality and increase
health such as reducing ulcers in growing-finishing pigs.
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Dehydrated alfalfa pellets are recommended in the diet
of gestating sows at rates of 5-20% of the total diet for:
Improved Reproductive Performance:
Dehydrated alfalfa pellets have been shown to increase sow
reproductive performance through:
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- Increased conception rates
- Reduced intervals between farrowings
- Improved sow health and reduced sow culling rates
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Controlled Weight Gain and Added Bulk as Dietary Fibre:
Dehydrated alfalfa is a good source of digestible fibre which
helps prevent constipation in pregnant sows.
The relatively low digestible energy for swine in dehydrated
alfalfa helps control weight gain and the fibres bulking ability
during gestation helps sows consume more feed during lactation,
resulting in higher survivability and milk production for piglets.
More Live Pigs at Birth and Weaning:
Research shows that dehydrated alfalfa in a brood sow diet
results in increased numbers of live piglets at birth and at weaning.
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Sow Gestation
Diet
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Corn-based
Control
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50%
Dehydrated
Alfalfa Pellets
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Number of litters
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53
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62
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Average Number of
Live Pigs per Litter
at Birth
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10.8
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11.8
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Average Number of
Live Pigs per Litter
at 14 Days
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7.7
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8.9
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Number of Sows Culled
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15 (34%)
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5(11%)
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Average Gestation Interval (weaning to next farrowing)
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135 days
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130 days
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a
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Source: Pollman et al. (1981)
averages calculated over three reproductive cycles
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Dietary levels of up to 10% dehydrated alfalfa pellets
can be used in growing-finishing swine diets. Research has shown the
protein in dehydrated alfalfa to be used as efficiently as that in
corn-soybean control diets.
Thus, using dehydrated alfalfa pellets requires no added protein while
providing fibre and nutrients in a natural form.
The addition of fibre also reduces the incidence of ulcers arising from
finely ground and pelleted feed. Dehydrated alfalfa pellets in
growing-finishing diets, because of fibre and lower energy density, can
be used to improve carcass quality when self-feeding pigs.
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