The Canola Meal-Lactating Sows study’s aim was to determine the effects of high canola meal inclusion levels in sow lactation diets on nutrient digestibility, reproductive performance, milk composite on and piglet performance. Forty five sows were randomly assigned to a corn soybean meal control diet with 0, 15, and 30% canola meal (Diet A, B and C, respectively). All diets were formulated to be similar in standardized ileal digestible amino acids and NE, and were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (2012) nutrient recommendations for lactating sows with an average post-farrowing BW of 210 kg, an expected average BW loss of 5.8 kg, and an expected piglet ADG of 230 g.

Results of this experiment showed no treatment effects for the higher levels of canola meal on feed intake, sow body weight and backfat change, weaning to estrous interval, piglet mortality, piglet average daily gains, or the sow’s milk composition among dietary treatments (P > 0.10). However, the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, gross energy, crude protein and phosphorus declined (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of canola meal inclusion. The researchers concluded that inclusion of up to 30% canola meal in lactation diet can support satisfactory sow and litter performance.