The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of palygorskite instead of zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility and zinc contents in serum and feces in weaned piglets. One hundred and sixty-five piglets (28 days of age, 7.10 ± 0.86 kg) were allotted to five treatments on the basis of weight and sex. Each treatment included three replicates of 11 piglets. The piglets were fed the same basal diet supplemented with 0 mg/kg (control group), 1800 mg/kg, 2400 mg/kg, or 3000 mg/kg palygorskite or 2500 mg/kg ZnO for 28 days. There was no significant difference for incidence of diarrhea among the four treatments during the 0-14-day feeding period. Compared with the control group, piglets offered diets supplemented with 1800 mg/kg palygorskite had higher (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and crude protein digestibility. Fecal digestibility of energy in 1800 mg/kg palygorskite and ZnO groups were higher (P < 0.05) than that in the control group. Both the zinc concentrations in serum and fecal zinc excretion in palygorskite groups and control group were all lower (P < 0.05) than that in the ZnO group. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 1800 mg/kg palygorskite can improve growth performance and nutrient digestibility and can also decrease zinc excretion in feces in weaned piglets.