Raw mung beans as a protein source for bred gilts

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Swine Nutrition
• Agricultural Research

Background:

• Soybean meal is a common protein supplement in swine diets.
• Exploring alternative protein sources like mung beans is crucial for sustainable animal agriculture.
• Understanding the impact of raw mung beans on gilt reproductive performance is necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate raw mung beans as a partial replacement for soybean meal in gestating gilt diets.
• To assess the effects of different mung bean inclusion levels on gilt performance and reproductive outcomes.

Main Methods:

• 546 crossbred gilts were used across six seasons.
• Gilts were fed either a control diet (sorghum grain-soybean meal) or diets with partial soybean meal replacement by mung beans.
• Two mung bean inclusion levels were tested: high (89%) and moderate (61%) in the supplemental protein.

Main Results:

• High mung bean levels decreased gilt weight gain during gestation and reduced weight loss during lactation.
• Moderate mung bean levels resulted in smaller litter sizes at 21 days compared to control or high mung bean groups.
• Pig and litter weights at 42 days were reduced with high mung bean inclusion.

Conclusions:

• Raw mung beans can be used as a partial soybean meal replacement in gilt diets.
• High inclusion levels of mung beans negatively impact gilt growth and piglet weights.
• Moderate inclusion levels may affect litter size, indicating a need for careful formulation.