Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T18:54:47.019Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of gender, terminal sire line and age at slaughter on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of heavy pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

M. A. Latorre ,
P. Medel ,
A. Fuentetaja ,
R. Lázaro  and
G. G. Mateos
M. A. Latorre
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
P. Medel*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
A. Fuentetaja
Affiliation:
COPESE S. A., 40300 Sepúlveda, Segovia, Spain
R. Lázaro
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
G. G. Mateos*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
*
† Present address : Imasde Agropecuaria S.L.Isabel Colbrand, 10, 4a pl.local 90, 28050 Madrid, Spain.
† Present address : Imasde Agropecuaria S.L.Isabel Colbrand, 10, 4a pl.local 90, 28050 Madrid, Spain.
Get access

Abstract

Two hundred and forty pigs of 56 ± 3 days of age were used to investigate the effects of sex (barrows; gilts), boar sire (DD, Danish Duroc; ND × LW, Dutch Duroc × Large White ; P × LW, Pietrain × Large White) and slaughter age (160; 175 days) on performance and carcass and meat quality. Treatments were arranged factorially (2 × 3 × 2) and there were four replicates (five pigs per replicate) per treatment. The female line was Landrace × Large White in all cases. Barrows had greater daily food intake (P <0·001) and average daily gain (P <0·01) and had poorer food conversion ratio (P <0·001) than gilts. Carcasses from castrates were fatter and had a lower yield of trimmed lean cuts than carcasses from females (P <0·001). Longissimus muscle from barrows had more intramuscular fat and higher a* value than muscle from gilts (P <0·05). Pigs from DD sire line grew faster (P <0·05) and had a better food conversion ratio (P <0·001) than pigs from the other two lines. Dressing proportion and backfat thickness were greatest for P × LW sired pigs (P <0·01) and proportion of trimmed lean cuts was greater for DD and P × LW than for ND × LW sired pigs (P <0·01). Longissimus muscle from DD sired pigs had less protein (P <0·01) and more intramuscular fat (P <0·001) than muscle from the remaining lines. Longissimus muscle from P × LW line had more intense colour than muscle from DD and ND × LW lines (P <0·01). Pigs slaughtered at 175 days had poorer food conversion ratio (P <0·01) and less trimmed primal cut proportion (P <0·001) than pigs slaughtered at 160 days. Also, increasing the age at slaughter increased intramuscular fat content (P <0·01), a* value (P <0·001) and colour intensity of the muscle (P <0·01). Danish Duroc boars are a good alternative to ND × LW or P × LW boars for production of heavy pigs whether the crossbreds are sacrificed at 160 or 175 days. Also, an increase in age at slaughter impairs growth efficiency and yield of lean cuts but improves some aspects of meat quality, which might be of interest in the production of heavy pigs destined for the dry-cured product industry.

Keywords

carcass qualitygenotypegrowthmeat qualitypigs
Type
Growth, development and meat science
Information
Animal Science , Volume 77 , Issue 1 , August 2003 , pp. 33 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Albar, J., Latimier, P. and Granier, R. 1990. Poids d’abattage: évolution des performances d’engraissement de carcasse de porcs abattus au delá de 100 kg. Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France 22: 119–132.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 2000. Official methods of analysis, 17th edition. AOAC, Arlington, VA.Google Scholar
Augspurger, N. R., Ellis, M., Hamilton, D. N., Wolter, B. F., Beverly, J. L. and Wilson, E.R. 2002. The effect of sire line on the feeding patterns of grow-finish pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 75: 103–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barton-Gade, P. A. 1987. Meat and fat quality in boars, castrates and gilts. Livestock Production Science 16: 187–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bejerholm, C. 1984. Experience in taste testing fesh pork at the Danish Meat Research Institute. Proceedings of the 30th European meeting of meat research workers, Bristol, UK, pp. 196–197.Google Scholar
Blanchard, P. J., Warkup, C.C., Ellis, M., Willis, M. B. and Avery, P. 1999. The influence of the proportion of Duroc genes on growth, carcass and pork eating quality characteristics. Animal Science 68: 495–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boccard, R., Buchter, L., Casteels, E., Cosentino, E., Dransfield, E., Hood, D. E., Joseph, R. L., MacDougall, D. B., Rhodes, D. N., Schön, I., Timbergen, B. J. and Touraille, C. 1981. Procedures for measuring meat quality characteristics in beef production experiments. Report of a working group in the Commission of the European Communities’ (CEC) beef production research programme. Livestock Production Science 8: 385–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boletín Oficial del Estado. 1988. Real Decreto Español 223/88 sobre la protección de los animales utilizados para experimentación y otros fines científicos. Boletín Oficial del Estado 67: 8509–8511.Google Scholar
Candek-Potokar, M., Monin, G. and Zlender, B. 2002. Pork quality, processing, and sensory characteristics of dry-cured hams as influenced by Duroc crossing and sex. Journal of Animal Science 80: 988–996.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Candek-Potokar, M., Zlender, B. and M., Bonneau 1997. Effets du poids et de l’abattage sur la composition chimique du muscle long dorsal de porcs croisés Duroc × (Landrace × Large White). Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France 29: 391–396.Google Scholar
Candek-Potokar, M., Zlender, B. and Bonneau, M. 1998. Effects of breed and slaughter weight on longissimus muscle biochemical traits and sensory quality in pigs. Annales de Zootechnie 47: 3–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carr, T., Walters, L.E. and Whiteman, J.V. 1978. Carcass composition changes in growing and finishing swine. Journal of Animal Science 47: 615–627.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cisneros, F., Ellis, M., McKeith, F. K., McCaw, J. and Fernando, R.L. 1996. Influence of slaughter weight on growth and carcass characteristics, commercial cutting and curing yields, and meat quality of barrows and gilts from two genotypes. Journal of Animal Science 74: 925–933.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Commission International de l’Eclairage. 1976. Colorimetry: official recommendations of the International Commission on Illumination. Publication CIE no. 15 (E–1. 3. 1). Bareau Central de la CIE, Paris, France.Google Scholar
Danbred. 2003. Google Scholar
DeVol, D. L., McKeith, F.K., Bechtel, P.J., Novakofski, J., Shanks, R. D. and Carr, T.R. 1988. Variation in composition and palatability traits and relationships between muscle characteristics and palatability in a random sample of pork carcasses. Journal of Animal Science 66: 385–395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diario Oficial de las Comunidades Europeas. 1999. Reglamento Europeo 2419/1999 relativo a la inscripción de determinadas denominaciones en el registro de certificaciones de características específicas de los productos agrícolas y alimenticios. Pliego de condiciones para la elaboración del jamón serrano. Diario Oficial de las Comunidades Europeas L 291: 25–26.Google Scholar
Diestre, A., Oliver, M.A., Gispert, M., Arpa, I. and Arnau, J. 1990. Consumer responses to fresh meat and meat products from barrows and boars with different levels of boar taint. Animal Production 50: 519–530.Google Scholar
Edwards, S. A., Wood, J.D., Moncrieff, C.B. and Porter, S.J. 1992. Comparison of the Duroc and Large White as terminal sire breeds and their effect on pigmeat quality. Animal Production 54: 289–297.Google Scholar
Ellis, M. and McKeith, F.K. 1993. Factors affecting the eating quality of pork. In Growth of the pig (ed. Hollis, G. R.), pp. 214–239. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Ellis, M., Webb, A.J., Avery, P.J. and Brown, I. 1996. The influence of terminal sire genotype, sex, slaughter weight, feeding regime and slaughter-house on growth performance and carcass and meat quality in pigs and on the organoleptic properties of fresh pork. Animal Science 62: 521–530.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fortin, A. 1980. The effect of slaughter weight on the carcass characteristics of Yorkshire barrows and gilts. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 60: 265–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friesen, K. G., Nelssen, J.L., Unruh, J.A., Goodband, R.D. and Tokach, M.D. 1994. Effects of the interrelationship between genotype, sex, and dietary lysine on growth performance and carcass composition in finishing pigs fed to either 104 or 127 kilograms. Journal of Animal Science 72: 946–954.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fundación Española para el Desarrollo de la Nutrición Animal. 1999. Normas FEDNA para la formulación de piensos compuestos (ed. Blas, C. de, Mateos, G. G. and Rebollar, P. G.). FEDNA, Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
García-Macías, J. A., Gispert, M., Oliver, M. A., Diestre, A., Alonso, P., Muñoz-Luna, A., Siggens, K. and Cuthbert-Heavens, D. 1996. The effects of cross, slaughter weight and halothane genotype on leanness and meat and fat quality in pig carcasses. Animal Science 63: 487–496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gu, Y., Schinckel, P. and Martin, T.G. 1992. Growth, development, and carcass composition in five genotypes of swine. Journal of Animal Science 70: 1719–1729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Honikel, K. O. 1998. Reference methods for the assessment of physical characteristics of meat. Meat Science 49: 447–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hornsey, H. C. 1956. The colour of cooked cured pork. I. Estimation of the nitric oxide-haem pigments. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 7: 534–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huff-Lonergan, E., Bass, T. J., Malek, M., J.C.M., Dekkers, Prusa, K. and Rothschild, M.F. 2002. Correlations among selected pork quality traits. Journal of Animal Science 80: 617–627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnston, M. E., Nelssen, J.L., Goodband, R.D., Kropf, D.H., Hines, R.H. and Schricker, B.R. 1993. The effects of porcine somatotropin and dietary lysine on growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing swine fed to 105 or 127 kilograms. Journal of Animal Science 71: 2986–2995.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuhlers, D. L., Jungst, S.B. and Gamble, B.E. 1996. Indirect selection for lean feed conversion in Duroc swine. Journal of Animal Science 74: 119 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Leach, L. M., Ellis, M., Sutton, D. S., McKeith, F. K. and Wilson, E.R. 1996. The growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Halothane carrier and negative pigs. Journal of Animal Science 74: 934–943.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lebret, B., Juin, H., Noblet, J. and Bonneau, M. 2001. The effects of two methods of increasing age at slaughter on carcass and muscle traits and meat sensory quality in pigs. Animal Science 72: 87–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindahl, G., Lundström, K. and Tornberg, E. 2001. Contribution of pigment content, myoglobin forms and internal reflectance to the colour of pork loin and ham from pure breed pigs. Meat Science 59: 141–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGloughlin, P., Allen, P., Tarrant, P. V. and Joseph, R.L. 1988. Growth and carcass quality of crossbred pigs sired by Duroc, Landrace and Large White boars. Livestock Production Science 18: 275–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martel, J., Minvielle, F. and Poste, L.M. 1988. Effects of crossbreding and sex on carcass composition, cooking properties and sensory characteristics of pork. Journal of Animal Science 66: 41–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, A. H., Fredeen, H.T., Weiss, G.M., Fortin, A. and Sim, D. 1981. Yield of trimmed pork products in relation to weight and backfat thickness of the carcass. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 61: 299–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, A. H., Sather, A.P., Fredeen, H. T. and Jolly, R.W. 1980. Alternative market weights for swine. II. Carcass composition and meat quality. Journal of Animal Science 50: 699–705.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. 2002. Anuario de Estadística Agraria. MAPA, Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 1998. Nutrient requirements of swine. National Academy Press, Washington DC. Google Scholar
Nieuwhof, G. J., Kanis, E., W. van der, Hel, M.W.A., Vestergen, Huisman, J. and Wal, P. van der. 1991. Effect of recombinant porcine somatotropin on body composition and meat quality in growing pigs; interactions with genotype, sex and slaughter weight. Meat Science 30: 265–278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nold, R. A., Romans, J.R., Costello, W.J., Henson, J.A. and Libal, G.W. 1997. Sensory characteristics and carcass traits of boars, barrows, and gilts fed high- or adequate-protein diets and slaughtered at 100 or 110 kilograms. Journal of Animal Science 75: 2641–2651.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1990. SAS user’s guide: statistics, version 6, fourth edition. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Tibau, J., Puigvert, X., Soler, J., Trilla, N., Diestre, A., Gispert, M., Fernandez, J. and Manteca, X. 1997. Incidencia de factores genéticos y de comportamiento en la eficiencia del crecimiento, la composición y la calidad de la canal y de la carne en distintas razas porcinas. Anaporc 171: 74–91.Google Scholar
Unruh, J. A., Friesen, K.G., Stuewe, S.R., Dunn, B.L., Nelssen, J.L., Goodband, R.D. and Tokack, M.D. 1996. The influence of genotype, sex, and dietary lysine on pork subprimal cut yields and carcass quality of pigs fed to either 104 or 127 kilograms. Journal of Animal Science 74: 1274–1283.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, P. D., Brown, S.N., S.J.M., Adams and Lowe, D.B. 1990. Variation in heam pigment concentration and colour in meat from British pigs. Meat Science 28: 321–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weatherup, R. N., Beattie, V.E., Moss, B.W., Kilpatrick, D.J. and Walker, N. 1998. The effect of increasing slaughter weight on the production performance and meat quality of finishing pigs. Animal Science 67: 591–600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, J. D. 1993. Consequences of changes in carcass composition on meat quality. In The control of fat and lean deposition (ed. Buttery, P. J., Boorman, K. N. and Lindsay, D. B.), pp. 331–353. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK.Google Scholar