Growth performance and fecal characteristics of growing-finishing pigs fed a DDGS-palm kernel meal-based diet in mash or crumble form.

This study evaluated the effects of partial replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with palm kernel meal (PKM) and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), offered in mash or crumble feed forms, on growth performance and fecal characteristics in growing-finishing pigs. A total of 210 growing pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc), weighted 30 ± 3.5 kg, were placed into three dietary treatments with fourteen replicates and five animals in each pen and fed TRT1, a mash diet based on corn-SBM; TRT2, a mash diet based on corn-SBM-DDGS-PKM; and TRT3, a crumble diet based on corn-SBM-DDGS-PKM. Our results showed that during the growing phase, body weight, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) did not differ significantly in pigs fed either a mash or crumble diet. Likewise, no significant treatment effects were observed on fecal score or fecal moisture in mash or crumble treatments. Similar results were obtained during the finishing phase, where growth performance parameters remained unaffected by treatment under mash or crumble form, and fecal traits also showed no significant differences. These results indicated that PKM and DDGS can partially replace SBM in growing-finishing pig diets without detrimental effects on growth performance or fecal consistency under the present conditions.