A total of 1,254 pigs (PIC 800 × [Fast LW × PIC L02]; initially 5.6 ± 0.10 kg) were used in a 28-d study to evaluate thermo-mechanically processed soybean meal (TM-SBM) on nursery pig growth and fecal characteristics. Pens were randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with body weight and entry date as blocking factors. There were 18 to 20 pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment. Experimental diets were corn-soybean meal (SBM)-based with increasing TM-SBM (Provisoy; Cargill; Wayzata, Minnesota) replacing SBM on a standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys basis (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% in phase 1; 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50% in phase 2). Treatment diets were fed in two phases from d 0 to 7 (phase 1) and d 7 to 21 (phase 2) followed by a common diet from d 21 to 28 (phase 3). At the end of phases 1 and 2, fecal samples were collected from three randomly selected pigs per pen to determine fecal dry matter (DM). From d 0 to 21 (experimental period), ADG and ADFI increased then decreased (quadratic, P ≤ 0.038) with the best performance observed when TM-SBM replaced 25 to 50% of SBM in phase 1 and 12.5 to 25% in phase 2. Moreover, G:F increased (quadratic, P = 0.036) with TM-SBM replacing 50 and 25% of SBM in phases 1 and 2, respectively, but worsened thereafter. No differences were observed for ADG, ADFI, and G:F during the common period (d 21 to 28). Overall (d 0 to 28), ADG and ADFI tended to increase then decrease (quadratic, P ≤ 0.089) with the best performance observed when TM-SBM replaced 25% of SBM in phase 1 and 12.5% in phase 2. For fecal DM, a treatment × day interaction was observed (quadratic, P = 0.024) indicating that the response to added TM-SBM differed across days. On d 7, the greatest increase in fecal DM occurred when TM-SBM replaced 25% of SBM (quadratic, P = 0.004), but decreased with 50% replacement and then remained stable. No fecal DM treatment differences were observed on d 21. Overall, there were no observed treatment differences in mortality; however, the percentage of removals, and the combined total of removals and mortality, decreased (linear, P ≤ 0.014) as the inclusion of TM-SBM increased from d 0 to 21. In summary, increasing TM-SBM to replace 25 to 50% of SID Lys of SBM in phase 1 and 12.5 to 25% in phase 2 resulted in improved growth performance throughout the experimental period. Fecal DM on d 7 was greatest when 25% of SID Lys of SBM was replaced with TM-SBM in phase 1.

Smallfield, J., J. Woodworth, J. DeRouchey, M. Tokach, R. Goodband, K. Gaffield, J. Gebhardt, A. Warner, C. Hastad, S. May, W. Schweer and C. Pilcher. 2026. Effects Of Thermo-Mechanically Processed Soybean Meal on Nursery Pig Growth and Fecal Characteristics. ASAS Midwest Section Meeting. Abstract 159. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag107.149

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Read the research report about this work here: Smallfield, J., J. Woodworth, J. DeRouchey, M. Tokach, R. Goodband, K. Gaffield, J. Gebhardt, A. Warner, C. Hastad, S. May, W. Schweer and C. Pilcher. 2025. Effects of Thermo-Mechanically Processed Soybean Meal on Nursery Pig Growth and Fecal Characteristics. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 11: Iss. 7. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8746.