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Using complex diets post-weaning improves piglet performance and financial outcomes.

Heng Li Kao Junior¹, Laya Kannan Silva Alves^2,3, Bruno Braga Carnino¹

¹Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil.

Tropical Animal Health and Production

|June 17, 2025

Summary

Complex diets significantly improved piglet performance, feed efficiency, and profitability during the nursery phase. These findings highlight complex diets as a strategic choice for enhancing post-weaning piglet outcomes.

Keywords:

Diarrhea Diet complexity Nursery phase Production costs Swine nutrition Weaning

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Area of Science:

Animal Science
Nutritional Science
Agricultural Economics

Background:

Post-weaning is a critical period for piglet development, often marked by performance challenges.
Dietary strategies significantly influence piglet growth, feed intake, and overall health.
Understanding the impact of diet complexity is crucial for optimizing nursery phase outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the comparative effects of complex versus simple diets on piglet performance during the nursery phase.
To assess the influence of diet complexity on feeding behavior and fecal consistency.
To analyze the economic implications of utilizing complex diets in piglet production.

Main Methods:

A randomized block design study involving 192 piglets (21 days old, 5.45 ± 0.95 kg).
Piglets were fed either a simple or a complex diet over a 42-day trial, encompassing pre-starter 1, pre-starter 2, and starter phases.
Performance metrics, feeding behavior, fecal consistency, and economic outcomes were systematically recorded and analyzed.

Main Results:

Complex diets led to significantly improved body weight, average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) across all nursery phases.
Cumulative results showed a 15.20% increase in ADG and a 7.00% improvement in FCR with complex diets (P < 0.0001).
Complex diets enhanced fecal consistency and resulted in higher profitability, despite increased feed costs.

Conclusions:

Complex diets offer a strategic advantage for enhancing post-weaning piglet growth and feed efficiency.
The improved performance and economic returns associated with complex diets support their implementation in commercial piglet production.
Dietary complexity positively impacts piglet development and profitability during the critical nursery phase.