Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:25:02.864Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The use of specific gravity and its reciprocal in predicting the carcass composition of pigs slaughtered at three weights

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. L. Adam  and
W. C. Smith
J. L. Adam
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
W. C. Smith
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Get access

Summary

1. Carcass dissection data and specific gravity determinations from 76 pigs slaughtered at either 120 lb., 200 lb., or 260 lb. live-weight have been analysed to study the value of specific gravity and its reciprocal in predicting fat and lean in the carcass.

2. Possible effects that the bone content of the carcass might have on the accuracy of prediction have been investigated.

3. Specific gravity was highly correlated with percentage fat and lean in the half carcass. Correlation coefficients for the reciprocal were of similar magnitude but opposite in sign.

4. The residual standard errors in percentage lean and fat at constant specific gravity were 1·74% and 1·72% respectively.

5. The replacement of specific gravity by its reciprocal did not increase the accuracy of prediction for either lean or fat tissue expressed as a percentage of the trimmed half carcass.

6. The muscle/fat ratio exerted a markedly greater influence on specific gravity than did the muscle/bone ratio. However, the inclusion of the latter ratio in equations relating specific gravity and percentage lean in the carcass, reduced the residual variation.

7. Application of the pooled regression equations to independent data, obtained by the use of identical techniques, has given promising results.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , February 1964 , pp. 97 - 105
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1964

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

REFERENCES

Aunan, W. J. & Winters, L. M., 1949. A study of the variations in muscle, fat and bone of swine carcasses. J. Anim. Sci., 8: 182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, C. J., Hillier, J. C. & Whatley, J. A., 1951. Specific gravity as a measure of fat content of the pork carcass. J. Anim. Sci., 10: 97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buck, S. F., Harrington, G. & Johnson, R. F., 1962. The prediction of lean percentage of pigs of bacon weight from carcass measurements. Anim. Prod., 4: 25.Google Scholar
Hankins, O. G. & Ellis, N. R., 1934. Physical characteristics of hog carcasses as measures of fatness. J. agric. Res., 48: 260.Google Scholar
Harrington, G., 1958. Pig carcass Evaluation. Tech. Comm. Commonw. Bur. Anim. Breed. Genet., Edinburgh, no. 12.Google Scholar
Holme, D. W., 1961. Carcass quality in the bacon pig. A study of some of the factors which affect carcass composition, and an evaluation of carcass density for its determination. Thesis. Queen's University, Belfast.Google Scholar
Kirton, A. H. & Barton, R. A., 1958. Specific gravity as an index of fat content of mutton carcasses and various joints. N.Z. J. agric. Res., 1: 633.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kline, E. A., Ashton, G. C. & Kastelic, J., 1955. The effect of chilling time on specific gravity of hog carcasses and the correlation between specific gravity and measures of fatness. J. Anim. Sci., 14: 1230 (Soc. Proa).Google Scholar
Kraybill, H. F., Bitter, H. L. & Hankins, O. G., 1952. Body composition of cattle. II. Determination of fat and water content from measurement of body specific gravity. J. appl. Physiol., 4: 575.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McMeekan, C. P., 1941. Growth and development in the pig with special reference to carcass quality characters. IV. The use of sample joints and of carcass measurements as indices of the composition of bacon pigs. J. agric. Sci., 31: 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morales, M. F., Rathbun, E. N., Smith, R. E. & Pace, N., 1945. Studies on body composition. II. Theoretical considerations regarding the major body tissue components, with suggestions for application to man. J. Biol. Chem., 158: 677.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, A. M., Bratzler, L. J., Deans, R. J., Price, J. F., Hoeffer, J. A., Reineke, E. P. & Luecke, R. W., 1956. The use of specific gravity of certain untrimmed pork cuts as a measure of carcass value. J. Anim. Sci., 15: 86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whtteman, J. V. & Whatley, J. A., 1953. An evaluation of some swine carcass measurements. J. Anim. Sci., 12: 591.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whtteman, J. V., Whatley, J. A. & Hillier, J. C., 1953. A further investigation of specific gravity as a measure of pork carcass value. J. Anim. Sci., 12: 859.CrossRefGoogle Scholar