The use of rapeseed meal as a protein supplement in poultry and pig diets.

Rapeseed meal would be used in much larger amounts in poultry and pig diets if its use was related solely to cost and nutritive value. In certain circumstances there are undesirable effects that severely lmiit its use. Most of the rapeseed meal available at present in the UK is strongly goitrogenic when fed to poultry or pigs, but it is not certain if this is necessarily harmful, nor if this is related to other effects that occur in particular situations and are clearly undesirable. From current data, diets in which rapeseed meal can be included most satisfactorily are those for broilers, growing pullets and finishing pigs. Plant breeders are actively selecting types of rape that have low or zero thioglucoside content and it is hoped that these new varieties will cause none of the ill-effects described in this review.