Nutritive value of yellow lupins (Lupinus luteus L.) for weaner pigs

Two experiments were conducted to examine the nutritive value of yellow lupins for weaner pigs. Using a completely randomised block design, Experiment 1 was conducted to determine the optimum inclusion level for yellow lupins (cv. Wodjil) in the diet of weaner pigs (6.14 kg +/- 0.278). Experiment 2 was conducted using a 2 x 2 factorial design to examine whether supplementation of an enzyme preparation (VegPro) either in a soybean meal-based diet (0 g/kg yellow lupins) or in a yellow lupin-based diet (150 g/kg) improved performance of piglets (6.17 kg +/- 0.317). In Experiment 1, the feed conversion ratio significantly increased at week 1 (linear effect, P = 0.040) and at week 3 (quadratic effect, P = 0.010) as the concentration of yellow lupins increased in the diet. In Experiment 2, supplementation with the enzyme preparation improved the feed conversion ratio in the pigs fed the lupin-based diet only but not in the pigs fed the soybean meal-based diet in week 2 (interaction P = 0.001). The results indicate that the optimum inclusion levels of yellow lupins for piglets immediately after weaning was 150 g/kg, and supplementation of a multi-enzyme preparation to a yellow lupin-based diet for the weaner pigs improved performance relative to the soybean meal-based diet.