Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T02:59:55.131Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Productive performance, carcass and meat quality of intact and castrated gilts slaughtered at 106 or 122 kg BW

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2011

J. Peinado
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
M. P. Serrano
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
P. Medel
Affiliation:
Imasde Agroalimentaria S.L., 28224 Madrid, Spain
A. Fuentetaja
Affiliation:
Copese S.A., 40300 Sepúlveda, Segovia, Spain
G. G. Mateos*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
*
Get access

Abstract

A total of 200 (Landrace × Large White dam × Pietrain × Large White sire) gilts of 50 ± 3 days of age (23.3 ± 1.47 kg BW) were used to investigate the effects of castration (intact gilt, IG v. castrated gilt, CG) and slaughter weight (SW; 106 v. 122 kg BW) on productive performance, carcass and meat quality. Four treatments were arranged factorially and five replicates of 10 pigs each per treatment. Half of the gilts were ovariectomized at 58 days of age (8 days after the beginning of the trial at 29.8 ± 1.64 kg BW), whereas the other half remained intact. The pigs were slaughtered at 106 or 122 kg BW. Meat samples were taken at Musculus longissimus thoracis at the level of the last rib and subcutaneous fat samples were taken at the tail insertion. For the entire experimental period, CG had higher (P < 0.05) BW gain and higher (P < 0.001) backfat and Musculus gluteus medius fat thickness than IG. However, IG had higher (P < 0.05) loin and trimmed primal cut yields than CG. Meat quality was similar for IG and CG but the proportion of linoleic acid in subcutaneous fat was higher (P < 0.001) for IG. Pigs slaughtered at 122 kg BW had higher (P < 0.001) feed intake and poorer feed efficiency than pigs slaughtered at 106 kg BW. An increase in SW improved (P < 0.001) carcass yield but decreased (P < 0.05) trimmed primal cut yield. Meat from pigs slaughtered at the heavier BW was redder (a*; P < 0.001) and had more (P < 0.01) intramuscular fat and less thawing (P < 0.05) and cooking (P < 0.10) loss than meat from pigs slaughtered at the lighter BW. In addition, pigs slaughtered at 122 kg BW had less (P < 0.01) linoleic acid content in subcutaneous fat than pigs slaughtered at 106 kg BW. Castration of gilts and slaughtering at heavier BW are useful practices for the production of heavy pigs destined to the dry-cured industry in which a certain amount of fat in the carcass is required. In contrast, when the carcasses are destined to fresh meat production, IG slaughtered at 106 kg BW is a more efficient alternative.

Type
Full Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2011

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

Association of Official Analytical Chemists International (AOAC) 2000. Official methods of analysis, 17th edition. Arlington, AOAC, USA.Google Scholar
Banón, S, Gil, MD, Garrido, MD 2003. The effects of castration on the eating quality of dry-cured ham. Meat Science 65, 10311037.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bee, G, Biolley, C, Guex, G, Herzog, W, Lonergan, SM, Huff-Lonergan, E 2006. Effects of available dietary carbohydrate and preslaughter treatment on glycolytic potential, protein degradation, and quality traits of pig muscles. Journal of Animal Science 84, 191203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boletín Oficial del Estado 2005. Real Decreto Español 1201/2005 sobre la protección de los animales utilizados para experimentación y otros fines científicos. Boletín Oficial del Estado 252, 3436734391.Google Scholar
Branscheid, W, Dobrowolski, A, Sack, E 1990. Simplification of the EC-reference method for the full dissection of pig carcasses. Fleischwirtsch 70, 565567.Google Scholar
Candek-Potokar, M, Monin, G, 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, 988996.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Candek-Potokar, M, Zlender, B, Lefaucheur, L, Bonneau, M 1998a. Effects of age and/or weight at slaughter on longissimus dorsi muscle: biochemical traits and sensory quality in pigs. Meat Science 48, 287300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Candek-Potokar, M, Zlender, B, Bonneau, M 1998b. Effects of breed and slaughter weight on longissimus muscle biochemical traits and sensory quality in pigs. Annales de Zootechnie 47, 316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cisneros, F, Ellis, M, McKeith, FK, McCaw, J, Fernando, RL 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, 925933.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corino, C, Musella, M, Mourot, S 2008. Influence of extruded linseed on growth, carcass composition, and meat quality of slaughtered pigs at hundred ten and hundred sixty kilograms of liveweight. Journal of Animal Science 86, 18501860.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Corino, C, Rossi, R, Musella, M, Pastorelli, G, Cannata, S 2009. Effect of different production typologies on chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of Italian commercial pork. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 89, 463469.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Correa, JA, Faucitano, L, Laforest, JP, Rivest, J, Marcoux, M, Gariépy, C 2006. Effects of slaughter weight on carcass composition and meat quality in pigs of two different growth rates. Meat Science 72, 9199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cruz, J 2009. El sector jamonero busca en las exportaciones una salida ante el estancamiento y la competencia en el mercado nacional. Eurocarne 174, 110.Google Scholar
DeVol, DL, McKeith, FK, Bechtel, PJ, Novakofski, J, Shanks, RD, Carr, TR 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, 385395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diario Oficial Comunidades Europeas (DOCE) 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 Comunidades Europeas 291, 2526.Google Scholar
Ellis, M, Webb, AJ, Avery, PJ, 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, 521530.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernández-Dueñas, DM, Myers, AJ, Scramlin, SM, Paks, CW, Carr, SN, Killefer, J, McKeith, FK 2008. Carcass, meat quality, and sensory characteristics of heavy body weight pigs fed ractopamine hydrochloride (Paylean). Journal of Animal Science 86, 35443550.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fjelkner-Modig, S 1981. Eating quality of hams and cutlets from two and three crossbreeding pigs slaughtered at normal and heavy slaughter weight, respectively. In Proceedings of the 27th European Meeting of Meat Research Workers, Wien, Austria, pp. 534–537.Google Scholar
Fortin, A, Robertson, WM, Tong, AKW 2005. The eating quality of Canadian pork and its relationship with intramuscular fat. Meat Science 69, 297305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fundación Española Desarrollo Nutrición Animal (FEDNA) 2003. Tablas FEDNA de composición y valor nutritivo de alimentos para la fabricación de piensos compuestos (ed. C De Blas, CG Mateos and PG Rebollar), 2nd edition. FEDNA, Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
Fundación Española Desarrollo Nutrición Animal (FEDNA) 2006. Necesidades nutricionales para ganado porcino (ed. C De Blas, J Gasa and CG Mateos), FEDNA, Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
Gandemer, G 2002. Lipids in muscles and adipose tissues, changes during processing and sensory properties of meat products. Meat Science 62, 309321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
García-Macías, JA, Gispert, M, Oliver, MA, Diestre, A, Alonso, P, Muñoz-Luna, A, Siggens, K, Cuthbert-Heavens, D 1996. The effects of cross, slaughter weight and halothane genotype on leanness and meat and fat quality in pigs carcasses. Animal Science 63, 487496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gispert, M, Oliver, MA, Velarde, A, Suarez, P, Pérez, J, Font i Furnols, M 2010. Carcass and meat quality characteristics of inmunocastrated male, surgically castrated male, entire male and female pigs. Meat Science 85, 664670.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gu, Y, Schinckel, P, Martin, TG 1992. Growth, development, and carcass composition in five genotypes of swine. Journal of Animal Science 70, 17191729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guerrero, L, Gou, P, Alonso, P, Arnau, J 1996. Study of the physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of dry-cured hams in three pig genetic types. Journal of Science and Food Agriculture 70, 526530.3.0.CO;2-Z>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Honikel, KO 1998. Reference methods for the assessment of physical characteristics of meat. Meat Science 49, 447457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
International Standards Organization Norms (ISO) 1993. ISO 8586-1, Sensory analysis. General guidance for the selection, training and monitoring of assessors. Part 1: selected assessors. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland.Google Scholar
Latorre, MA, García-Belenguer, E, Ariño, L 2008. The effects of sex and slaughter weight on growth performance and carcass traits of pigs intended for the dry-cured ham from Teruel (Spain). Journal of Animal Science 86, 19331942.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Latorre, MA, Ripoll, G, García-Belenguer, E, Ariño, L 2009. The increase of slaughter weight in gilts as strategy to optimize the production of Spanish high quality dry-cured ham. Journal of Animal Science 87, 14641471.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Latorre, MA, Lázaro, R, Gracia, MI, Nieto, M, Mateos, GG 2003a. Effect of sex and terminal sire genotype on performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of pigs slaughtered at 117 kg body weight. Meat Science 65, 13691377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Latorre, MA, Medel, P, Fuentetaja, A, Lázaro, R, Mateos, GG 2003b. Effect of gender, terminal sire line and age at slaughter on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of heavy pigs. Animal Science 77, 3345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Latorre, MA, Lázaro, R, Valencia, DG, Medel, P, Mateos, GG 2004. Effect of gender and slaughter weight on the growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality characteristics of heavy pigs. Journal of Animal Science 82, 526533.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leach, LM, Ellis, M, Sutton, DS, McKeith, FK, Wilson, ER 1996. The growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of Halothane carrier and negative pigs. Journal of Animal Science 74, 934943.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
López-Bote, C, Fructuoso, G, Mateos, GG 2000. Sistemas de producción porcina y calidad de la carne. El cerdo ibérico. FEDNA 16, 77111.Google Scholar
Mayoral, AI, Dorado, M, Guillén, MT, Robina, A, Vivo, JM, Vázquez, C, Ruíz, J 1999. Development of meat and carcass quality characteristics in Iberian pigs reared outdoors. Meat Science 52, 315324.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peinado, J, Medel, P, Fuentetaja, A, Mateos, GG 2008. Influence of castration of females on growth performance and carcass and meat quality of heavy pigs destined to the dry-cured industry. Journal of Animal Science 86, 14101417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rincker, PJ, Killefer, J, Ellis, M, Brewer, MS, McKeith, FK 2008. Intramuscular fat content has little influence on the eating quality of fresh pork loin chops. Journal of Animal Science 86, 730737.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruíz-Carrascal, J, Ventanas, J, Cava, R, Andrés, AI, García, C 2000. Texture and appearance of dry cured ham as affected by fat content and fatty acid composition. Food Research International 33, 9195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sather, AP, Jones, SDM, Joyal, S 1991. Feedlot performance, carcass composition and pork quality from entire and female Landrace and Large White market-weight pigs. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 71, 2942.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Serrano, MP, Valencia, DG, Fuentetaja, A, Lázaro, R, Mateos, GG 2008. Effect of gender and castration of females and slaughter weight on performance and carcass and meat quality of Iberian pigs reared under intensive management systems. Meat Science 80, 11221128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Serrano, MP, Valencia, DG, Fuentetaja, A, Lázaro, R, Mateos, GG 2009a. Influence of feed restriction and gender on growth performance and carcass and meat quality of Iberian pigs reared indoor. Journal of Animal Science 87, 16761685.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Serrano, MP, Valencia, DG, Fuentetaja, A, Lázaro, R, Mateos, GG 2009b. Effect of castration on productive performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Iberian pig females reared under intensive management systems. Livestock Science 123, 147153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stalder, KJ, Maya, J, Christian, LL, Moeller, SJ, Prusa, KJ 1998. Effects of preslaughter management on the quality of carcasses from porcine stress syndrome heterozygous market hogs. Journal of Animal Science 76, 24352443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute (SAS) 1990. SAS user's guide: statistics. version 6, 4th edition. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Terlouw, C, Berne, A, Astruc, T 2009. Effect of rearing and slaughter conditions on behaviour, physiology and meat quality of Large White and Duroc-sired pigs. Livestock Science 122, 199213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Virgili, R, Degni, M, Schivazappa, C, Faeti, V, Poletti, E, Marchetto, G, Pacchioli, MT, Mordenti, A 2003. Effect of age at slaughter on carcass traits and meat quality of Italian heavy pigs. Journal of Animal Science 81, 24482456.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weatherup, RN, Beattie, VE, Moss, BW, Kilpatrick, DJ, Walker, N 1998. The effect of increasing slaughter weight on the production performance and meat quality of finishing pigs. Animal Science 67, 591600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, JD, Enser, M, Fisher, AV, Nute, GR, Sherad, PR, Richardson, RI, Hughes, SI, Whittington, FM 2008. Fat deposition, fatty acid composition and meat quality: a review. Meat Science 78, 343358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wood, JD, Richardson, RI, Nute, GR, Fisher, AV, Campo, MM, Kasapidou, E, Sheard, PR, Enser, M 2003. Effects of fatty acids on meat quality: a review. Meat Science 66, 2132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wyszcecki, G, Stiles, WS 1982. Color science. Concepts and methods, quantitative data and formula, 2nd edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York, USA.Google Scholar