Poor post-weaning performance results in:

• Increased days to market
• Increased mortality/morbidity
• Increased labor costs
• Increased marketing variation
• Poor utilization of capital resources

Research conducted at ADM Alliance Nutrition™ evaluated pigs at different weaning weights and measured how various rations impact the performance of nursery pigs (Figure 1). As expected, pigs that were heavier at weaning maintained their weight advantage throughout the nursery phase regardless of feeding regimen. However, improved performance was observed in pigs that received the more complex nursery diets compared to those that received the simple diets, regardless of weaning weight. The improved performance in pigs fed the complex diet resulted in a 4 to 7 lb weight advantage at the end of the experiment.

A summary of three Alliance Nutrition™ research trials found pigs that were 6 lb heavier coming out of the nursery reached 250 lb body weight 7-11 days sooner ( Table 1 and Table 2 ).

A study at the University of Georgia evaluated the performance of 21-day-old pigs after one week in the nursery and continued through market weight (Table 3). Pigs that gained at least 0.22 lb/hd/day reached market weight 7 to 16 days sooner compared to pigs that gained from 0 to 0.22 lb/hd/day or lost weight, respectively.

Similar results were observed in a Kansas State University feeding trial (Table 4). Pigs that gained more than 0.5 lb/hd/day during the first week post-weaning were 17 lb heavier at market (day 156 post-weaning) compared to pigs that lost weight during the first week.

A similar trial conducted at the University of Minnesota found pigs that received a complex starter diet for the first 14 days post-weaning gained 0.15 lb/hd/day more than pigs fed a simple diet (Table 5). All pigs were switched to the same dietary regimen after 14 days post-weaning.

This improvement in gain continued throughout the finisher phase with pigs receiving the complex starter diet being 11 lb heavier at 180 days of age than pigs receiving the simple diet.

The NCR-42 Committee conducted a trial at five university experimental stations to determine the effectiveness of feed budgeting. Pigs were weaned at approximately 23 days of age and sorted by weaning weight into two groups (< 12 lb and > 16.5 lb). Pigs received a phase 1 starter diet for 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Performance was evaluated through the finishing phase (Table 6). The following conclusions were made:

• Weaning weight impacted days to market by approximately 8 days.

• Pigs fed phase 1 diets for more than one week grew faster.

• No added benefit was observed for feeding phase 1 diets for more than two weeks.

• No “compensatory gains” occurred.

Feeding complex, highly palatable, and digestible starter programs the first two weeks post-weaning:

• Enhances post-weaning feed intake and pig performance

• Improves subsequent nursery and grow/finish performance