In the past, one wheat class was favoured over others as an ingredient in swine feed.
That could soon change as producers get better acquainted with the findings of a recently completed study that examined the merits of different wheats for swine rations.
The study found feed values and processing qualities of Canada Western Amber Durum, Canada Prairie Spring White or Red and Canada Western Hard White wheats are similar to the standard Canada Western Red Spring wheat.
From that it was concluded that wheat class is not as important as previously thought when choosing varieties that can be easily milled into feed and will provide the best growth performance in weaned pigs.
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“All classes produced excellent feed quality and animal performance,” said Ruurd Zijlstra, a scientist at the Prairie Swine Centre.
There has been a perception in the past that CWRS wheats were superior, both for feed value and for the ease with which they could be milled into feed. That set the stage for discounts on other classes of wheat if they did not make the grades to be milled for human consumption and were instead sold for hog feed.
John Patience, president of the Prairie Swine Centre, said the research findings mean that hog producers can choose from a wider selection of wheat. That could be especially important in years when feed supplies on the Prairies are tight due to drought.
For grain growers, it could mean improved marketing opportunities.
During the animal performance study, weaned pigs were fed diets where 65 percent of the ration was made up of a specific wheat variety. That’s comparable to the percentage that can be used in commercial swine diets for weaned pigs.
The findings of the research suggest CPSW, CPSR, CWAD and the new CWHW wheat can be included in commercial swine diets for weaned pigs at rates much higher than are now used.
The Canadian Wheat Board hopes the study will encourage more producers to grow some of the newer wheat classes, such as Canada Western Hard White. The wheat board is building markets for those classes, but that effort relies on adequate acres being planted.
There’s a greater chance that producers will plant those varieties if they know a large potential feed market exists as a backstop in case their grain does not meet the grades for milling for human consumption, said Patty Rosher, the wheat board’s senior program manager of market development.
The research was done by the Prairie Swine Centre, FeedRite, Danisco Animal Nutrition, Degussa and the Canadian International Grains Institute.
