By Swine Web
A new research trial exploring the use of a cheese co-product in both sow lactation diets and nursery pig diets is offering fresh insights into how ingredient continuity may influence early pig performance.
The nursery phase is one of the most sensitive stages in pork production. Feed intake patterns, digestive adaptation, and stress during the first weeks after weaning can significantly impact long-term pig performance. As a result, nutrition strategies that help pigs transition smoothly through this period remain an area of active research.
One concept gaining attention is the idea that exposing piglets to certain feed ingredients during lactation may help them adapt more quickly to nursery diets after weaning.
Evaluating a Cheese Co-Product in Sow and Nursery Diets
A recent trial evaluated whether incorporating a cheese co-product into both lactation diets and nursery diets could influence growth performance during the first five weeks after weaning.
Nearly 400 weaned pigs were monitored in a 35-day nursery study. Some piglets came from sows fed a diet containing the cheese co-product during lactation, while others came from sows receiving a standard diet. After weaning, pigs were placed on either a control nursery diet or a nursery diet containing the same cheese co-product ingredient during the early nursery phases.
Researchers tracked growth rate, feed intake, feed efficiency, and early post-weaning weight changes.
Heavier Piglets at Weaning
Piglets originating from sows that received the cheese co-product during lactation entered the nursery slightly heavier at weaning.
That advantage remained visible throughout the nursery period, suggesting early-life nutrition strategies may influence piglet weight at the start of the nursery phase.
However, overall growth rate during the nursery period itself remained largely similar across dietary treatments.
Feed Efficiency Improvements
Where the research did identify differences was in feed efficiency.
When the cheese co-product was included in early nursery diets, pigs showed improved feed conversion compared to pigs receiving the control diet.
This improvement occurred without meaningful differences in daily feed intake or daily gain. In practical terms, pigs were utilizing feed nutrients slightly more efficiently.
For producers and nutritionists, feed efficiency improvements during the nursery stage can have meaningful economic implications because feed represents the largest cost in pig production.
Early Post-Weaning Stability
Another trend observed during the trial involved the immediate post-weaning period.
Pigs receiving nursery diets containing the cheese co-product showed a tendency for fewer pigs to lose weight during the first several days after weaning — a period when pigs commonly experience growth setbacks due to stress and reduced feed intake.
Although the effect was modest, it highlights the importance of diet composition during the earliest nursery phase.
A Nutrient-Dense Ingredient
Cheese co-products can provide a combination of protein, fat, and energy that may support young pig diets.
Because nursery pigs have immature digestive systems, highly digestible nutrient sources are often used to help maintain growth and encourage feed consumption during the early weeks after weaning.
Ingredients derived from dairy processing are commonly explored for this reason.
What It Means for the Industry
The trial ultimately found that including the cheese co-product in either lactation or nursery diets did not dramatically alter growth rate or feed intake. However, improvements in feed efficiency suggest there may be potential value in certain nursery feeding programs.
More broadly, the research reinforces an idea that continues to gain attention in swine nutrition:
Consistency between sow and nursery diets may influence early pig adaptation after weaning.
For producers, the findings add another layer to the ongoing discussion about how ingredient selection during lactation and the nursery phase can shape pig performance during one of the most critical stages of production.
As the industry continues to focus on efficiency and performance, nutrition strategies that improve feed utilization — even modestly — can contribute to stronger overall production outcomes.
