Replacement of soybean meal with lupinseed (Lupinus albus) in pig starter diets

Two feeding trials were conducted to evaluate lupin seed (Lupinus albus) as a replacement for soyabean meal at levels of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% of starter diets fed to 192 pigs, from 10 to 20 kg liveweight. ADF and NDF concentrations in the diets increased as the proportion of lupin in the diet increased. Daily gain and daily feed intake were reduced as the level of lupin in the diet increased. Slower growth rates, when lupin seed exceeded 10% of the diet, appeared to be due to a reduction in feed intake, rather than a direct effect on amino acid composition or alkaloid content of the diets since feed conversion efficiency was not affected by the proportion of lupin seed in the diet. Lupin seed included in the diet at 5-10% appeared to have a positive effect on growth rate and feed efficiency..