Barley, Triticale, or Rye? The Type of Grain Can Affect the Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Sustainable Raised Pigs

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Modern pig production seeks to achieve favorable growth results while paying close attention to animal welfare and the quality of the pork, as well as maximizing the use of feed grown on the farm. Sustainability farming can be a production system that meets these tasks. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of high shares of different grain types (barley, rye, or triticale) in the diet of growing-finishing pigs on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty acid profile in meat and fat. The 100-day experiment involved 72 pigs assigned into three groups differing in the main base component of the feed mixture: I—barley, II—triticale, III—rye. The obtained results showed quite differentiated influence of the kind of grain as a base in feeding on the production results and meat quality. The use of triticale or barley may provide better growth efficiency of pigs, better nutrient digestibility, and more beneficial fatty acids profile in respect of the health-promoting value of meat, when compared with feeding pigs with rye. Meat of pigs fed with high rye shared feed mixture characterized of lower cholesterol content, better water holding capacity, and higher saturated fatty acids profile, wherein the later one indicated better resistance to oxidation during storage and longer meat shelf life. The rye may be more beneficial for the production of long-matured or traditional meat products. ABSTRACT: The effect of high level of barley, triticale, or rye as base of complete mixtures for growing-finishing pigs on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and fatty acid profile in meat and backfat was investigated. The 100-day experiment involved 72 pigs, assigned into three groups (24 animals each). Pigs of each group were kept in six pens (two gilts and two barrows per pen). Diets offered to pigs differed in the proportion of cereals as the leading ingredients in the mixture formulation: I—barley, II—triticale, III—rye. The results showed diversified grain influence on the production results and meat quality. Triticale- and barley-based diets ensured better weight gain and lower carcass fatness than rye (p ≤ 0.05). The basic nutrients digestibility of mixtures containing triticale was comparable to that containing barley and higher than that of rye (p ≤ 0.05). The meat and backfat of pigs receiving diet with triticale or barley was characterized by more favorable fatty acids profile in respect to the health-promoting indicators (atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indexes; hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio). The cholesterol level in various tissues was the lowest in pigs fed with rye diet, and their meat characterized by better water holding capacity and more SFA. Higher fat saturation indicate better resistance to oxidation during storage and longer meat shelf life. It seems that the supplementation of triticale to diet may improve the growth efficiency of pigs and the health-promoting value of meat, while the supplementation of rye may be better for the production of traditional or long-matured meat products.