A total of 200 finishing pigs (average initial BW of 72 kg) were used in a 51-d growth assay to determine the effects of mix time in meal and pelleted diets with high inclusion of alternative ingredients (32% DDGS and 32% wheat middlings) on growth performance and carcass measurements. The pigs were sorted by gender and ancestry and assigned to pens (5 pigs/pen and 10 pens/treatment) in a completely randomized design. The diets (907 kg batches) were blended in a Hayes & Stolz twin-shaft double-ribbon mixer. All ingredients (corn, soybean meal, DDGS, wheat middlings, limestone, salt, vitamin mix, mineral mix, crystalline amino acids, and tylosin) were added to the stopped mixer. Mix times were 0 and 180 s before transfer to sack-off or being pelleted before transfer to sack-off. Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with main effects of diet form (meal vs. pellets) and mix time (0 vs. 180 s). Diets were formulated to at least 120, 120, and 110% of requirements for essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, respectively, as suggested in the NRC (2012) Nutrient Requirements of Swine. Feed and water were consumed on an ad libitum basis until the pigs were harvested (avg BW of 119 kg) at a commercial abattoir for collection of carcass data. There were no interactions among diet form and mix time (P = 0.45 or greater). Pelleting improved (P < 0.01) ADG and G:F, but did not affect (P = 0.49 or greater) hot carcass weight (HCW), last rib backfat thickness (BF), or dressing percentage (dress %). Mix time did not affect (P = 0.17 or greater) ADG, G:F, HCW, BF, or dress %. In conclusion, increasing mix time from 0 to 180 s in meal or pelleted diets with high inclusion of DDGS and wheat middlings did not improve growth performance or carcass characteristics. Table 1. Effects of diet form (meal vs. pellet) and mix time (0 vs. 180 s) on performance and carcass traits

Item	Mash			Pellet		SE	P-value
0 s	180 s	0 s	180 s	Form	Mix	Form x Mix
ADG, g	909	893		969	944	28	0.01	0.17	0.76
G:F, g/kg	294	298		312	319	5	0.01	0.31	0.78
HCW, kg	87.4	86.9		88.2	88.1	3.2	0.49	0.84	0.90
Dress %	73.3	72.9		72.8	73.1	0.5	0.71	0.98	0.45
BF, mm	23	22		23	22	2	0.76	0.54	0.66