Natural satiation thanks to rye

The cereal contains complex carbohydrate compounds that are steadily and slowly broken down into glucose in the animal’s small intestine. The natural consequence is a lasting feeling of satiation. That and other effects of rye in pig fattening are described in a recent study conducted by the Foundation of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover (TiHo) together with KWS and the Walsrode Livestock Marketing Cooperative. “There are indications that rye can have a favorable influence on animal behavior,” says Josef Kamphues, Professor at the Institute for Animal Nutrition at TiHo and the study’s lead author. The 18 farms that took part, including ten that rear boars, fattened more than 45,000 animals in the course of the study. They were fed with a mix in which rye accounted for a ratio of five percent in the pre-fattening period, 25 percent in the middle fattening stage, and finally 40 percent in the grow-finish stage.

That’s an unusually high figure – farmers often use far less rye in pig fattening. Yet the study’s results suggest that there are good reasons to reverse that trend. And not just because the pigs are more satiated. “We simply can’t continue using so much fertilizer as in past decades,” says Kamphues. “And rye helps agriculture take new approaches.”

Less nitrate with rye cultivation

Hybrid rye seed from KWS needs 100 liters less water per kilogram than wheat, for example, according to the seed breeder. And it requires half a kilogram less nitrogen per 100 kilograms of cereal. This ultimately means rye ensures there is less nitrate in the soil. And it makes it far easier for farmers to comply with the new German Fertilizer Ordinance that has been in force since 2017.

The veterinarian expert Kamphues also identified major differences compared to other types of feed for the pigs in the study: “Rye has a large amount of carbohydrates that are not digested in the small intestine. Put simply, they feed the microorganisms in the small intestine and the microflora there.” That produces butyric acid, which very likely has a positive influence on the behavior of animals when they are being fattened. Butyric acid is also very efficient at killing bacteria such as salmonella. And the problem of boar taint, which hangs like a sword of Damocles over the breeding of non-castrated male animals, might be significantly mitigated with a higher rye content in fodder. “We might well see a renaissance in rye,” says Kamphues. “That’s because the conditions for the plant and animal husbandry have changed – in favor of rye.”

Rye: resistant even in arid conditions

Strong plants swaying in the wind carry the secret to keeping pigs quiet and content during fattening. The extremely dry spring in 2018 apparently had only little effect on rye on the around 30 hectares of land not far from the farm. Andreas von Felde’s hybrid rye plants stand upright in the frugal, sandy heath that has additionally suffered from the lack of rain. “Resistance to drought is very advantageous for all of us here,” says von Felde. “In addition, the plants don’t snap in severe storms, and they deliver high yields on our difficult soils. And I hardly have any problem with diseases like rust or mildew.”

After all, modern breeding has virtually eliminated rye’s former weakness: susceptibility to ergot fungi. “I can largely prevent that by using the right variety and Pollen Plus technology. Many years of research by KWS have helped achieve advancements here. That process is just as complex as developing a new car.”

The long-established cereal is a key component of the philosophy for the von Felde family on its farm, namely a commitment to upholding tradition, but using state-of-the-art technology. The fact that von Felde himself works as a Product Manager at the seed producer gives added substance to his convictions.

Ryes: traditionally high-yielding

The farm has been family-owned for many generations – but even von Felde doesn’t know precisely how long. However, he can prove without a doubt that a lot of rye has been grown in his fields for decades. Just recently the farmer found a letter from his grandmother, who ran the farm in the 1940s. She remarked about the harvest: “We’ve again got good rye in the cellar.”

Von Felde, who holds a doctorate in animal breeding, inherited the farm in the year 2000. “Back then, animal welfare wasn’t as prominent a cause as it is today,” says the father of three. Yet that issue is very dear to von Felde’s heart: His pigs are bedded on straw, soccer balls dangle from the ceiling, and salt blocks and chew sticks offer them diversion. The animals have much more space and light in their open sty than elsewhere.

Animal welfare in pig fattening

He understands why some colleagues can’t or won’t adopt his principles in pig fattening – and urges them all the more to opt for his preferred cereal. After all, nothing has been the same since he significantly increased the rye content. “You can make a quick contribution to animal welfare by using rye as fodder,” he says. “By contrast, changing how you keep animals as a whole takes a lot longer.”

von Felde can hear that his pigs are doing well – and he feels that in the midst of his herd. The farmer regularly mingles with his animals to check that everything is as it should be: “You have to spend a lot of time with your animals. Then you notice a lot of things.” And von Felde has numbers to prove that rye does more than improve animal welfare: The lean meat proportion has soared from 58 to 62 percent and the gain in weight has increased from 810 to 900 grams a day.

“Stand firm, look far ahead and keep moving” – that was a slogan that used to adorn one of his farm buildings, says von Felde. The combination of tradition and modern methods, of animal welfare and efficient farming is now his trademark. This unpretentious farmer is even a little proud that TV teams visit his farm as a result: “I’m very grateful for that!”