Canadian Dehydrators Association - Factsheet: Canadian Processed Alfalfa in Swine Diets

  The use of a forage product in swine diets requires the forage to be of high quality such as that found in alfalfa. Forages like alfalfa are good sources of dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, particularly selenium and vitamin E. Alfalfa protein has an amino acid profile which is similar to soybean meal providing an appropriate high quality alternate feed source which can increase efficiency of production.
  Important ways of increasing economic efficiency in pork production are to improve quality of product, reduce breeding herd and other feed costs and to improve numbers of weaned pigs per sow. It has long been observed that fiber additions to sow diets through the use of alfalfa have contributed to increased sow reproductive performance and increased weaned pigs per sow. Recent research findings confirm early observations of increased sow productivity due to adding a fibrous feed source. A study conducted at Michigan State by D.A. Nelson et al. in 1992 and a review by Duane E. Reese, 1997 both concluded that sows fed additional dietary fibre during gestation, farrowed and weaned more pigs per litter than those fed control diets.
  Alfalfa has an energy content of 2100 kcal of DE per kilogram of dry matter and is too low for consideration of its use in swine diets such as pig starters. However, with older classes of pigs it can provide unique benefits to the diet. There are many instances with finisher pigs (50 to 110 kg) and sows where alfalfa additions can provide increased efficiency of production. There are a number of factors which influence the pig’s ability to digest forage sources such as alfalfa. Factors such as level fed, extent of processing, and as swine become older and heavier, their ability to digest fiber increases (NRC 1988). It has also been shown that with finisher pigs (Varel et al. 1984) adaptation to high fiber diets occurs with an increased ability to digest high fiber diets through increased numbers of cellulolytic bacteria and a resulting increased production of volatile fatty acids.

Advantages and Use of Dehydrated Alfalfa in Growing-Finishing Swine Diets
  With finishing swine the addition of a lower energy, high quality protein ingredient such as dehydrated alfalfa has particular advantages where carcass quality needs improvement or with reducing health problems such as ulcers. In feeding trials by Powley et al. (1981) and Pond and Yen (1984), it was shown that by adding levels of alfalfa, 20 and 40% of the diet for growing finishing pigs, the reduction in growth rate and feed efficiencies experienced was a result of reduced energy intake.
  Feeding isocaloric diets showed no difference between corn-soy controls and that containing 20% alfalfa. Both groups of researchers found that protein utilization (grams gain to grams protein intake was similar to corn-soy diets, concluding that alfalfa protein was used as efficiently as that in the control. The level of backfat was reduced with increased addition of alfalfa without affecting loin eye area and an improvement in lean meat yield was noted in these trials. Thus, alfalfa meal can be used to effectively improve carcass quality, helping to maximize returns for the producer.
  The fine grinding of certain feeds for pelleted pig feeds, particularly those low in fiber can increase the incidence of ulcers in rapidly growing pigs. This effect can be reduced substantially by the addition of 2 to 5% of dehydrated alfalfa meal to the diet. For carcass quality improvement, levels of 5 to 10% of the total diet can be used with the higher levels being used in self feeding situations.

Advantages and Use of Dehydrated Alfalfa in Diets for Pregnant and Lactating Sows
  The need for bulk and fiber in the diets for gestating sows has been long recognized. Table 1 shows the results of a feeding trial by Pollman et al. 1981 in which levels up to 50% alfalfa in the diet were fed to gestating sows. These results indicate a positive influence of alfalfa on sow reproductive performance and health. Similar results have been obtained by other researchers and advantages of alfalfa addition to sow diets can be summarized as follows:
• Helps control body weight gain of dry sows and mature boars;
• Helps prevent constipation in dry sows for easier farrowing and fewer health problems;
• Feeding of bulkier diets during the dry period can stimulate the feed intake of sows during lactation;
• The fiber content and nutrient composition of alfalfa combine to provide a feed useful in reducing the incidence of ulcers, stress and the culling of sows because of physical unsoundness and poor performance.
  The increased number of live pigs at birth and at weaning is thought to be the result of alfalfa’s nutrient content and dietary fibre effect on sow performance. The increased consistent feed intake during lactation and faster recovery from stress at farrowing may be all reasons for this increased sow performance of adding alfalfa to the dry sow’s diet. In conditions of high stress due to high humidity and temperature this beneficial effect of dehydrated alfalfa will be increased. The fibre complement in dehydrated alfalfa produces less intestinal gas than other fibre sources leading to more comfort and higher performance in the pigs.
  The feeding of dehydrated alfalfa pellets is highly applicable in sow diets. Practical levels of 4 to 20% (5% being the average) of the total diet for dry sows can be used to improve sow performance. Levels of 5% in the nursing sow diet are recommended. Thus, as noted for growing finishing swine, the value of alfalfa meal in swine diets goes beyond its apparent nutrient content to imparting attributes to the diet that may be more difficult or expensive to obtain other ways.

Criterion

Control

50% Alfalfa

Sow weight gain to 90 days,kg
Sow weight gain 90-110 days, kg
Lactation weight loss, kg
Feed intake (lactation), kg
Number of litters observed
Number of live pigs at birth
14 day live pigs
Number of sows culled
Percentage of sows culled

26.3
13.8
6.6
4.95
53
10.8
7.7
15
34.1

16.8
14.8
3.4
5.11
62
11.8
8.9
5
11.4

Table 1 : Effect of dietary inclusion of alfalfa on sow performance and productivity over 3 reproductive cycles. Source: Pollman et al. (1981)

Selected References
• Nelson, D.A. et al. 1992. Michigan State University “Report of Swine Research”. NRC - Nutrient Requirements of Swine. 1988.
• Pollman, D.S. et al. 1981. “Long Term Effects of Dietary Additions of Alfalfa or Tallow on Sow Reproductive Performance.” J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 51. No. 2.
• Pond, W.G. and J.T. Yen. 1984. “Effect of level of alfalfa meal in a corn-soybean meal diet on Growing Finishing Swine.” Nutrition Reports International. Vol. 29 #5.
• Powley, J.S. et al. 1981. “Performance of Growing Finishing Swine Fed High Levels of Alfalfa Meal”. J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 53. No. 2.
• Reese, D.E. 1997. “Dietary Fiber in Sow Gestation Diets Reviewed”, Feedstuffs, June 23, 1997.
• Variel, U.H. et al. 1984. “Influence of Dietary Fiber on the Performance and Cellulose Activity of Growing Finishing Swine.” J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 59. No. 2.

prepared by:
V.J. Racz and D.A. Christensen
Feed Resource Centre
Animal and Poultry Science
University of Saskatchewan

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