Abstract One stressor that pigs experience at weaning is the transition to solid feed, and the form of feed provided to newly weaned pigs may impact growth and intake during the early nursery period. Swine nursery diets and ingredients have changed in complexity and may face challenges in the pelleting process compared to historical studies. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the impact of dietary feed form on nursery pig growth performance. A total of 800 crossbred barrows and gilts (19 ± 0.86 d age) were blocked by sex and wean weight (6.57 ± 1.31 kg) and individually assigned to pens of 20 pigs/pen with similar BW pigs housed together (20 replicate pens/treatment group). Two dietary treatments were evaluated: 1) Meal diet using a crumble basemix or 2) Pellet diet. Experimental diets, identical in ingredient composition between treatments, were fed in two phases for the first 6.80 kg of feed (22 ± 1.7 d), followed by a common meal diet for the remainder of the 42-d trial. Pens were weighed and feed disappearance measured at days 10, 21, and 42. Data were analyzed using the Mixed (performance) and NPar1Way (morbidity/mortality) procedures of SAS. For the initial 21 d of study, feeding Pellet vs. Meal + Crumble basemix increased d 21 BW (0.26 kg, P = 0.018), increased ADG (5.26%, P = 0.015), numerically increased ADFI (3.57%, P = 0.164), and tended to improve G:F (4.35%, P = 0.062). Final (d 42) BW was numerically greater (0.31 kg, P = 0.155) for pigs fed Pellet diets, respectively. Overall nursery ADG was numerically increased (2.38%, P = 0.130) for pigs fed pellet diets, with similar ADFI, resulting in a tendency for improved overall G:F (1.43%, P = 0.062). No differences (P 0.05) were observed in morbidity or mortality between treatment groups. These results are in line with previous research and validate improved growth performance in pigs fed pelleted diets.
McCallum et al. (Wed,) studied this question.