Objectives of the research project:
- Determination of the protein digestibility of clover grass silage and alfalfa meal by fattening pigs
- Investigation of the adaptability of the digestive tract of fattening pigs to the feedstuffs being tested during the fattening period
EU Regulation 2092/91, which governs the use of conventional feed in organic farming, will gradually reduce the maximum percentages for the use of conventional protein feeds to zero by 2012. The aim is to investigate a protein feed produced in Austria in order to reduce the amount of purchased protein feeds, such as soybeans, in the ration. Insufficient protein in fattening pig feed negatively impacts muscle development and growth. This trial aims to identify a protein feed that can be produced domestically on the farm's own land in the long term. The plan is to investigate clover in the form of clover silage and alfalfa meal. Clover, as green fodder or silage, is used by farms as enrichment material and as roughage to promote stomach development. The first step involves conducting trials and studies to determine the extent to which the protein from the clover silage and alfalfa meal can be digested by the pigs.
The currently valid feed value tables for pigs (DLG 1991) do not include digestibility quotients for clover-grass silage, and only a few studies in the international literature have been conducted on digestion trials with these high-fiber feeds.
The use of clover silage and alfalfa meal will subsequently be tested in practice.
In addition to the ecological benefits of a circular economy, a comparison of the economic advantages (following the practical trials) could reveal additional economic benefits for a feeding regime that requires no or less additional purchase of protein feed. Furthermore, clover in the form of silage and alfalfa meal could contribute to stabilizing the intestinal flora as roughage, thus promoting animal health and inhibiting pathogenic germs.
Further information on project implementation can be found in the database for research and sustainable development (Dafne) -> Link
