Palm Kernel Meal Inclusion Does Not Compromise Performance of Growing and Finishing Pigs Regardless of Feed Form or Corn Processing

This study aims to assess the impact of different forms of feed and their processing methods on growth performance, nutrient absorption, and carcass quality in pigs across both growing and finishing stages. A total of 440 crossbred (Yorkshire × Landrace × Duroc) pigs were used in two experiments. Experiment 1 (Exp. 1) included 220 growing pigs (63 days of age; initial body weight [BW], 25.06 ± 1.82 kg), while Experiment 2 (Exp. 2) included 220 finishing pigs (105 days of age; initial BW, 54.80 ± 3.66 kg). In both experiments, pigs were assigned to four dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with 11 replicates with five pigs (two gilts and three barrows)/pen. In Exp. 1, growing pigs were either fed mash and/or crumble diets with or without 5% PKM for 6 weeks. Herein, corn, soybean meal (SBM), and PKM were all processed into both mash and crumble forms. In Exp. 2., finishing pigs were fed with mash (extruded) and crumble (non-extruded) diets with and without PKM for 10 weeks. At the end of week 6, growing pigs fed neither mash nor crumble with and without PKM diets showed no significant (p > 0.05) changes in their growth performance and nutrient digestibility. Similarly, no notable (p > 0.05) changes were observed on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass grade quality in finishing pigs at the end of week 10. In summary, the present study had insufficient (less than 80%) statistical power to show possible differences between the treatment groups suggesting that current findings are preliminary evidence regarding the use of PKM and different feed-processing strategies in pig diets; however, further studies with greater experimental replication are warranted to validate these findings to clarify potential treatment effects.