Swine industry feed suppliers are continually striving to create techniques and tools to reduce the additive stressors imposed on the weanling piglet, to increase advantageous behaviors (feeding and drinking) and to reduce aggrieve interactions. In addition to social reorganization, pigs are often vaccinated during the nursery phase to reduce the impact of potentially harmful diseases. It has been noted by swine practitioners that at the time of vaccination many pigs lie down, rest more and reduce the amount of feed consumption over the vaccination period.

One product on the market is a gel-based feed that is designed to ease the transition from a liquid diet (sow's milk) to dry ration. This gel-based feed contains high quality ingredients; it is highly palatable and provides the young pig with both a feed component and a water component thereby influencing feed consumption and intestinal health.

The gel can be used in addition to a standard weaned pig solid ration. Although, often recommended to be used at the time of weaning, the possibilities of implementing the gel around the time of vaccination is a novel concept that might impact the individual pig’s overall performance. The objectives of this study were to determine if the addition of gel at the time of vaccination provided benefits to the nursery pigs’ performance.