White-flowering faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in sow diets

Among Swedish crops that are possible to use as protein feed, the total harvest of faba bean takes the 3rd place, after rape seed and peas. Presently, inclusion of faba beans in sow diets is not recommended in Sweden. The basis for this is experiments carried out with high-tannin faba beans. In these experiments high levels of faba beans (17-34% of the diets) were used, and the results indicated reductions in litter size and milk yield.

The hypothesis for the present experiment was that a moderate inclusion of white-flowering faba beans (10%) in combination with other locally produced feed materials like cereals and rape seed meal will not cause reproductive or other disturbances. The experiment comprised two groups of 20 sows each. The sows was monitored during 2 reproductive cycles, from service for the first experimental litter until heat after weaning of the second experimental litter.

Project managers:

Maria Neil (SLU) & Kerstin Sigfridson (Svenska Lantmännen)